Welsh government to get some control over youth justice for first time

Funding aimed at stopping children from committing crime or needing to be remanded in custody if they are accused of offences will be transferred to the Welsh government.

Welsh ministers in Cardiff will be put in charge of funding for some youth justice initiatives by the UK government from April 2027.

It stops significantly short of handing over full powers over criminal justice but will be the first time that Welsh government will have a say within the system since the Senedd's predecessor, the National Assembly, was established in 1999.

The Welsh government said it would be pressing the UK government "to go further".

Claire Hughes, UK government Wales office minister, told BBC Radio Wales it was an "important first step" in the devolution of criminal justice.

The UK government suggests the changes will allow for schemes to be more "streamlined", with services run from Cardiff already having a significant role in youth justice prior to Monday's announcement.

Unlike in Scotland and Northern Ireland, the devolution process that has seen powers move from Westminster to Cardiff has never involved the criminal justice system in Wales.

Advocates for a Wales-only criminal justice system argue that Wales as a nation should have the right to run its own legal affairs, and that it would make more sense to link policies up when the Welsh government already controls some services used by offenders.

In youth justice, it controls education and children's services, for example.

But it has always been controversial, and detractors often say the government should focus on its existing priorities rather than take on new ones.

The devolution of criminal justice was a long-standing demand of the previous Labour Welsh government, which failed to be re-elected in May's election.

The Labour UK government never supported the concept but in the 2024 general election manifesto did say it would consider the devolution of youth justice, indicating some support for a gradual approach.

Published on Monday, a white paper from the Ministry of Justice says the UK government will "agree an expanded and clearly defined role for the Welsh government as part of wider youth justice reform".

From April 2027, the UK government will devolve funding "to reduce the use of remand for children in Wales, as well as for youth justice early intervention and prevention, currently delivered through the Turnaround programme".

It said: "This will offer the Welsh government flexibility to reduce bureaucracy in current funding arrangements and support more streamlined delivery, as well as to better target funding and tailor interventions in a way that reflects the context in Wales."

It adds: "We would also like to explore a clearer and strengthened role for the Welsh government that goes beyond the devolution of funding."

BBC Wales understands the changes do not involve giving the Senedd more powers. The Welsh government will be able to design future schemes, which will be set out in a future agreement between the two governments. No sum of money was announced.

The announcement from the Ministry of Justice followed negotiations with the former Labour Welsh government, culminating in an agreement announced in March.

A Labour source said: "This is the culmination of work by the Wales Office and Ministry of Justice with the previous Welsh Labour government to strengthen the devolution settlement, ensuring a tangible benefit to people's lives."

A Welsh government spokesman said: "We will study the white paper carefully and consider its implications for Wales. Our position is unambiguous - justice should be fully devolved to Wales, as it is in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

"We will be pressing the UK government to go much further."

Plaid Cymru, now in power in Cardiff, has promised to negotiate further powers for Wales from the UK government.

The Welsh government said that the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had been "open to a conversation" about further devolution when he and First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth spoke last week.

On Monday Plaid Cymru in Westminster called for new legislation to have stronger powers for Cardiff Bay, including over rail, the Crown Estate, justice, policing, water and social security.

Liz Saville Roberts, Plaid's leader in the Commons, said: "If Keir Starmer is serious about being 'open' to discussing more powers for Wales, then his government should listen to our demands for a new Wales Bill."

Meanwhile, the Plaid Welsh government held its first cabinet meeting on Monday, after its ministers were sworn in last week.

The first call between Labour's Welsh secretary and Rhun ap Iorwerth was also announced.

A statement from the UK government said Jo Stevens "made clear the benefit of both the UK and Welsh governments working together".

It said they had "shared priorities around the cost of living and poverty as well as public services and economic growth, including the delivery of clean energy infrastructure in Wales."

In a tweet, the first minister said it was good to speak to the Welsh Secretary Good to speak to the Secretary of State for Wales, promising to "work closely with the UK government on matters such as the cost of living, while stressing the need to respect Welsh democracy".