Shadow Social Justice Minister and North Wales MS Mark Isherwood has criticised the chosen South Wales location for the first Residential Women's Centre in Wales.
In yesterday’s meeting of the Welsh Parliament, Mr Isherwood asked the Social Justice Minister how the Centre, which will be located near Swansea, will be of benefit to women living in other parts of Wales and what action she is taking to support the location of a future Centre in North Wales.
He said:
“The UK Government’s Female Offender Strategy was published in June 2018, to divert vulnerable female offenders away from short prison sentences wherever possible, invest in community services and establish five pilot Residential Women’s Centres, including one in Wales.
“Last month, you wrote to Members stating that you had been working closely with the UK Ministry of Justice, and announcing that one of these Centres would be near Swansea in South Wales.
“The following week, you issued a Written Statement to Members with an update on the delivery of the Youth Justice and Women’s Justice Blueprints.
“With reference to the ‘location of the Residential Women’s Centre in Wales’, you stated that this:
“Will improve the lives of women in Wales, providing a more holistic, trauma informed approach to delivering services for women who may find themselves involved in the criminal justice system in Wales. Importantly, it will also allow women to stay closer to home and to maintain crucial family ties, especially with their children”.
“However, how will the location of this Centre in Swansea help women offenders in North, Mid and West Wales to access the services they need closer to home and to maintain crucial family ties; and what action are you taking to support the location of a future Centre in North Wales?”
In her response, the Minister Jane Hutt MS said “I'll certainly be backing your call for a North Wales Centre, Mark Isherwood.”
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Isherwood added:
“That’s all well and good, but Ms Hutt didn’t explain why she championed the location of this Centre near Swansea, just down the road from her own constituency, but far from home for women offenders whose families live across most of the land area of Wales.”