The Government remain committed to the promises in our manifesto and are working to deliver them. For example, we have so far provided £10 million for the Welsh Government to deliver an economic inactivity trailblazer in Wales, as part of our wider commitment to devolve employment support funding to the Welsh Government. Through our Railways Bill, we are giving the Welsh Government a statutory role in the management of the rail network, building on our record investment in Welsh rail.
I thank the Minister for her Answer. Pursuing the devolution of policing is in Welsh Labour’s programme for government. Just last week, we heard a Statement in this House on the abolition of police and crime commissioners. In England, those powers will be transferred directly to elected mayors, where they exist. However, where those powers go in Wales is not clear. Does the Minister agree that this presents the perfect opportunity to deliver Welsh Labour’s commitment and devolve policing to Wales? If not, what is it about Welsh democracy that the UK Labour Government distrust?
The noble Baroness will not be surprised at all to hear that I disagree with both her assessment and her request that we devolve policing to Wales. The announcement last week on PCCs was not about the devolution of policing. It related solely to the abolition of PCCs, a model that simply was not working. We will seek the views of all partners, including the Welsh Government, before deciding on the best form of local policing, governance and scrutiny in Wales.
In opposition, the Labour Party was very clear about the unfairness of the way in which money was given to Wales under the Barnett formula. Why is it that it is still cheating Wales and giving it much less money than any other part of the United Kingdom?
My Lords, I used to represent Stoke-on-Trent. The noble Lord will find that the Barnett formula ensures that the people of Wales receive 20% per capita more than my former constituents. The Welsh Government received a record-breaking settlement of £21 billion this financial year, which, because of the Barnett formula, is £4 billion more than it would otherwise have been. The Government are delivering for the people of Wales, financially and by supporting them through devolution in action.
My Lords, one key area of potential devolution is youth justice, where the Welsh Government have already been implementing policies to tackle the root causes of crime and break inter- generational cycles of crime, through early intervention and a compassionate approach to justice. I welcome the announcement by the Welsh Government that officials would work together with UK counterparts to explore, among other items, options for governance arrangements and the funding of youth justice services. When will this work be completed and when will we see true devolution of these services to Wales?
As the noble Baroness outlined, the UK Government and the Welsh Government have agreed to work together to consider options for the governance and funding of youth justice services and for partnership arrangements on probation services. That work is currently under way, but I do not have a deadline for when they will come forward with their recommendations.
There is a strong possibility that, following next May’s elections, Plaid Cymru will be the largest single party in Senedd Cymru. Will the UK Government ensure that Plaid Cymru has access to civil servants dealing with devolved or potentially devolved portfolios, as is the practice for incoming Governments at Westminster?
The noble Lord raises an interesting point. There are still six months until the elections, and I would expect to see another Labour Administration elected next year. We will be working hard to deliver, as we do every day for the people of Wales and for the people of the United Kingdom. With regard to the substance of his point, that is the first time that it has been raised with me. I will speak to officials, and I would ask him to come forward if there are any problems or challenges.
Does my noble friend agree that testimony to the working relationship between the UK Government and Wales is the decision about the SMR development at Wylfa, which is welcome and which I earnestly hope will add to the growth potential of the Welsh economy?
Many Members of your Lordships’ House were delighted to see the Prime Minister with the First Minister in Wylfa earlier this month announcing investment of £2.5 billion, which will create 3,000 jobs. It is a true recognition of our faith in, and the ability of, the Welsh economy, and it will drive growth for the Welsh economy.
My Lords, ambulance delays in Wales have increased fourfold over the past seven years, and PISA scores are lower than the OECD average in reading, science and maths. With all due respect to the Welsh Administration, does the Minister believe that further powers should be devolved to Wales if it is currently struggling to manage its own healthcare and education systems?
My Lords, for 14 years, the party opposite cut funding to the people of Wales. We have increased the funding settlement for Wales, to ensure that the Welsh Government can deliver public services. With respect to the NHS, which the noble Earl raised, that has meant that the waiting list fell in the last month that was counted, and continues to fall month on month. We are delivering for the people of Wales. NHS England and NHS Wales are sharing best practice, we are doing public sector reform and, most importantly, we are giving them money that the noble Lord’s party did not, to get on with the job.
My Lords, I thank my noble friend. We are seeing devolution in action. It was this party that introduced the legislation to bring forward devolution, which has led to the Welsh Senedd. As for current conversations and discussions about further devolution, as I said earlier, we are working closely with the Wales Office, the DWP and the Welsh Government to deliver more on the devolution of employment support, with the £10 million trailblazer. We are working with youth justice and probation services, as I said earlier, to consider options for moving forward.
My Lords, may I remind the Minister that, of the four nations of the United Kingdom, child poverty in Wales is consistently the highest? Is the Minister ready to think about this and, in any future arrangements, to recognise the situation for children in Wales and make it fairer?