'A Safer Wales': Welsh Liberal Democrat Spring Conference, March 2007

Speech delivered on Sun 11th Mar 2007

Bore da cynhadledd, mae'n bleser cael y cyfle i'ch annerch heddiw ar y pwnc 'Cymru fwy diogel".

A government department that supposedly in charge, actually in complete meltdown;

A lack of confidence right across the board, right across the country,

Day after day of horror stories from members of the public

And creaking, failing and inadequate publicly-funded structures -

Many of you will think I'm talking about our railways and trains again.

I'm not. I'm referring to the catalogue of failures in our prisons, in the criminal justice system and the increasing fear of crime in our communities.

Yates of the Yard may be paying close attention to Downing Street at the moment but I've also been investigating Mr Blair's record sheet.

Even as a former magistrate this is one of the most clear cut cases that has come before me.

When it comes to crime and criminal justice policy; this Labour government is bang to rights.

Violent crime has doubled in the last eight years,

More than three in every five prisoners are convicted of another crime within two years of release, the highest proportion since records began;

Less than one in every hundred crimes committed leads to a court conviction;

And The Home Office is - in the words of the Home Secretary - "not fit for purpose".

This week in the Assembly, Labour tried to force police officers off the streets of North Wales by capping their budget. Fortunately for North Wales, the Welsh Liberal Democrats and the other opposition parties wouldn't let them.

In one way, it's a shame that the Prime Minister's doing a runner soon and fleeing the scene of his failures.

He's got a lot to answer for…

He began by talking about getting "tough on the causes of crime", and continued to talk tough. But today, under Labour, the criminal justice system is a mess.

Violent crime is rising,

Anti-social behaviour remains an unsolved problem,

Our prisons are in chaos,

And the Home Office is in total disarray.

Labour have talked tough, but have failed to deliver.

It's time for common-sense answers to the problems in the prison and criminal justice systems.

Crime is a liberal issue. It strikes at the very heart of what's important to us - community. Pride in our communities is at the focus of Welsh Liberal Democrat politics. Making sure that we have safe, secure communities is a vital part of that.

We are the only party in Wales that has put forward comprehensive proposals to cut crime. Let me take you through our five steps to a safer Wales:

1. More police on patrol - instead of wasting billions on ID cards;

We will guarantee that the funding is there for communities to request up to 500 extra PCSOs across Wales during the next Assembly term. Tony Blair's Labour accomplices in the Assembly voted against that when we proposed it last month.

As an Assembly Government we would support that diversion of ID card money towards more police in Wales and across Britain. And we will oppose any requirement for ID cards to be produced in accessing public services in Wales. That is a guarantee.

2. Pay back for our communities - making offenders work for the community;

Having worked with young people and been a magistrate I know that just locking up petty vandals and thieves is not the answer. Our young people are crying out for opportunity. Sending them to our overcrowded prisons, where they get master-classes in crime from other criminals, is not working.

They should be giving something back to the community, putting right the harm and damage they have caused. Restorative justice teaches them responsibility and develops skills that give them a positive role in society.

Let's give communities a say in the punishment non-violent offenders carry out in their community, for example identifying projects such as cleaning graffiti, or repairing damage to victims' property.

3. Take back our towns and villages;

We will tackle excessive drinking by cracking down on licensees who serve people when clearly drunk or underage, and ensure that big late night venues to contribute to the extra cost of late night policing.

We will promote Acceptable Behaviour Contracts, as pioneered by Liberal Democrat-led councils.

We will take tough measures to deal with the inconsiderate, aggressive and dangerous driving that blights many of our communities. Greater use of powers to confiscate vehicles from persistent joy-riders , mobile speed-cameras to enforce speed limits in areas with significant problems of joy-riding and more projects that show teenagers dramatic reconstructions of how they cut teenagers out of crashed cars.

4. Make sentences mean what they say;

With the Home Office in disarray and on the verge of breaking up, I say it's time to devolve the administration of police and prisons, with the appropriate resources, to Wales.

Labour's attempts last year to impose an ill-thought through, unpopular and unnecessary police merger on Wales from London showed that we in Wales are better placed to decide what kind of police service we need and want.

Liberal Democrats across Britain are putting forward common-sense solutions to the problems in the criminal justice system. In many cases the public have lost confidence and trust in sentencing procedures.

The Liberal Democrat policy on sentencing is honest, clear and straightforward - sentences will do what they say on the tin. Life meaning life and clear minimum sentences.

5. Better compensation for victims;

Prisoners should be made to work to pay compensation to their victims, and other offenders made to work for their community, to cut re-offending rates.

Under our plans, prisoners who work and earn money will be liable to pay tax, national insurance and child support, and will make contributions to a Victims' Compensation Fund and make savings for their release. They will gain not only skills, but budgeting experience and a sense of responsibility.

We're offering an honest, common-sense and realistic approach to crime.

Just talking tough has failed. And the Tories have spun themselves into confusion on crime, they go from one extreme to saying they want to hug a hoodie. Mind you the prospect of a cwtch from Nick Bourne or David Davies is enough for anyone to change their ways!

Across Britain and here in Wales it's only the Liberal Democrats that can be trusted to work with local communities to take the action that's needed.

Cutting crime and making our communities safer are liberal issues. Over the next two months we have to get out there, on the streets, letting the people of Wales know that we have the answers to their concerns on crime.

Successive Tory and Labour governments - each competing to talk tougher than the last - have failed.

It's time for a new approach.

An honest approach.

A common-sense approach.

Working with communities across the country, the Welsh Liberal Democrats can cut crime.

The time is right for a liberal approach to crime.