Fair Play on Police Pay
22 January 2008
Plaid Cymru Assembly Member for South Wales West, Bethan Jenkins AM has tabled a statement of opinion at the National Assembly, urging the backdating of the police pay rise to September.
Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s march by police officers in London, Ms Jenkins said:
“I fully support calls by the Police Federation for Labour Home Secretary Jacqui Smith to backdate the police pay rise to September – giving police officers a 2.5 per cent increase in real terms. I condemn Labour at Westminster for undermining our public servants in such a way.”
Ms Jenkins’ support follows calls made by Welsh Police chiefs last week for the devolution of policing and criminal justice to the National Assembly. Commenting, Ms Jenkins added:
“The SNP Government in Scotland has respected the recommendations Police Arbitration Board and will award Scots bobbies a full pay rise. Officers in Wales are at the mercy of the Home Office in London and consequently will lose out. I support calls for us in Wales to have the powers over criminal justice and policing, so that we shape a society that rewards public servants and protects the public.”
Notes to editors
The Statement of Opinion in full:
Police Pay
The National Assembly calls upon the UK Government to honour the pay award recommended by the Police Arbitration Board in full.
The National Assembly notes that the Police Arbitration Board was established to recommend a fair pay deal for Police officers and should therefore not be ignored by the UK Government.
The National Assembly further notes its concern at the UK Government’s approach to public sector pay in general, and calls for fair pay deals for all our public sector workers.
One Wales Agreement (under ‘Ensuring an Effective Youth and Criminal Justice Systems):
We will consider the evidence for the devolution of the criminal justice system within the contexts of (a) devolution of funding and (b) moves towards the establishment of a single administration of justice in Wales.
