Local Labour AM Mike Hedges AM has proudly voted to support a new law that will offer more protection for our police, firefighters and NHS workers.

Local Labour AM Mike Hedges AM has proudly voted to support a new law that will offer more protection for our police, firefighters and NHS workers.

The Welsh Labour Government this week voted that a proposed new law aimed at cracking down on attacks on emergency workers should apply in Wales by backing a Legislative Consent Motion.

Welsh Labour Rhondda MP, Chris Bryant, has put forward legislation to Parliament that would make it an aggravated offence to attack an emergency worker. The vote in the Senedd on Tuesday 27^th February ensured the new law for 999 staff would also apply in Wales.

With 248  police officers assaulted in South Wales last year and 1250 of NHS workers in  ABMU health area in 2016 (the last year for which official statistics are available), this law aims to help deter people from assaulting the workers who protect our public on a daily basis, and to ensure those that do face tough sanctions.

The new law has support from the Royal College of Nursing, Unison, The Fire Brigades Union, the Police Federation, The British Transport Police and the GMB union.

Mike Hedges AM said.....

“I was proud to back this legislation. Any assault on emergency workers is unacceptable, and it’s about time the law reflected the seriousness of attacks on people working for the public good.  Society owes a debt of thanks to our emergency workers, so Parliament now needs to give them the support and protection they need.”

“It’s absolutely unacceptable that the hard-working men and women in [insert area]’s NHS, Fire and Police services face serious assault and abuse simply for doing their jobs trying to keep us all safe and well.”

The new law has support from the Royal College of Nursing, Unison, The Fire Brigades Union, the Police Federation, The British Transport Police and the GMB union.

It comes after Chris Bryant MP came top of the ballot for ‘Private Members Bills’ in Parliament, a mechanism that allows an MP to put forward a proposal to be debated in parliament and potentially made into law. After opening a public vote on which issue to put forward, Mr Bryant went with the majority winner which was this Bill to stop attacks on emergency workers.

Chris Bryant MP said:

“I’m taking forward this Bill after hearing of the literally thousands of horrifying attacks on our emergency workers every year. No one should be attacked just for doing their job, let alone when that job is putting themselves on the line for the public good.

“Passing this Bill will send a clear message that we will not tolerate violence and abuse towards those who protect us, and it will hopefully help stem the tide of this worrying trend of assaults towards them.”

**Ends**

NOTES:

·A Legislative Consent Motion may be tabled, before the National Assembly for Wales if a UK Parliamentary Bill makes provision in relation to Wales for any purpose within, or which modifies the legislative competence of the National Assembly.

·The Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Bill (the “Bill”) is a Private Member’s Bill introduced by Chris Bryant MP in the House of Commons on 19 July 2017. The Bill has the support of the UK Government.

Local Stats 

The full regional breakdown for England and Wales provided by the office for Chris Bryant MP can be found below.  Statistics for NHS assaults in Wales are not provided by NHS Protect so are sourced from an FOI request reported here.  The Home Office has published figures on assaults on the police here.  Whether NHS Wales data is combined with Police data for 2015/16 (the same year the Health FOI data is from) or 2016/17 (the latest year police data is available) there were over 20 assaults a day on average.

Wales
	verbal	physical
Abertawe	306	944
Aneurin	949	872
Cardiff and Vale	839	951
Cwm Taf	104	275
Hywel Dda	264	575
Powys	8	26
Betsi (combined assaults)	377
Total assaults		6490
Police 2015/16	Self-reported assaults	Police recorded crime - assault without injury on a constable
Dyfed-Powys	74	146
Gwent	37	150
North Wales	N/A	285
South Wales	22	236
Total assaults	133	817
Total police assaults Total NHS and Police assaults		7359
Assaults per day		20.1616438