Knife Crime Afzal Khan (Manchester, Gorton) (Lab) 1. What steps he
is taking to tackle knife crime in Greater Manchester.(901610) Mr
Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East) (Con) 2. What steps he is taking
to tackle knife crime in Bournemouth.(901611) The Minister for
Crime, Policing and Fire (Chris Philp) As we have said often in
debates this House, knife crime is a terrible crime; it tears
families apart and all too often takes young people from us. As
the...Request free trial
Knife Crime
(Manchester, Gorton) (Lab)
1. What steps he is taking to tackle knife crime in Greater
Manchester.(901610)
(Bournemouth East) (Con)
2. What steps he is taking to tackle knife crime in
Bournemouth.(901611)
The Minister for Crime, Policing and Fire ()
As we have said often in debates this House, knife crime is a
terrible crime; it tears families apart and all too often takes
young people from us. As the House will know, violent crime
overall has reduced by 51% since 2010, but there is more we can
do. That includes funding violence reduction units—Manchester’s
VRU has £20 million of funding for the coming financial year—and
running hotspot policing in areas where serious violence and
antisocial behaviour are a problem. The £66 million of funding
for that across England and Wales is in addition to the existing
police funding settlement.
In September 2021, my constituent Rhamero West was chased across
Manchester, stabbed and killed—he was just 16. His mum, Kelly,
has worked tirelessly to make sure that no other families have to
face the suffering she and her family have faced, including by
raising money to fund a network of bleed kits across Greater
Manchester and a youth project in Fallowfield. She wants to tell
Rhamero’s story to help save other young lives, so will the
Minister agree to meet her?
Yes, of course. It sounds as though the hon. Gentleman’s
constituent is campaigning bravely, as so many parents do, to try
to bring some good out of a terrible personal tragedy, so I would
be delighted to meet him and his constituent.
Mr Ellwood
May I quickly put on record my thanks to the Security Minister
and the Policing Minister for their efforts in upgrading MPs’
security?
Across the UK, ever more young people are choosing to carry
knives. Sadly, that is the case in Bournemouth as well. Violence
reduction units are dedicated police units that have a proven
track record of reducing knife crime in town centres in other
parts of the country, not just through increased policing, but by
working in the community, including at schools, to educate
youngsters on the dangers of carrying a knife. I am grateful for
the increase in police numbers in Dorset, but will the Minister
ask the Chancellor to see whether extra funds can be provided
specifically for a VRU for Bournemouth?
I will convey my right hon. Friend’s request to the Chancellor,
and I put on record my thanks for his tireless campaigning and
that of other Dorset MPs for resources for that county and its
police force. Dorset police will receive about £11 million more
next year than it received the previous year. Thanks to the
campaigning of my right hon. Friend and other Dorset MPs, it also
received an exceptional special grant last year of £600,000 to
help campaign against violence.
My right hon. Friend is right to say that violence reduction
units have a very positive effect. In the next financial year,
£55 million will be spent on them for the 20 police force areas
judged to have the most significant violence problems. Dorset is
not among those 20, but I will pass his message to the Chancellor
and I know that through our work with the police and crime
commissioner, Dorset police and the PCC will do everything they
can to combat knife crime not just in Bournemouth, but in Dorset
as a whole.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Nottingham North)
(Lab/Co-op)
With incidents up by 70% since 2015, the public are looking for
leadership on knife crime. Earlier this month, the Government
would not support our plan, which includes broadening the ban on
zombie knives to include ninja swords; an end-to-end review of
online sales; and criminal penalties for tech execs who allow
their platform to be used for illicit sales. The Government
rejected our plan, but what they have in place simply is not
working, so we will push again during the remaining stages of the
Criminal Justice Bill. Will they accept it then?
The shadow Minister should be aware that according to the crime
survey of England and Wales —the only reliable long-term
indicator for volume crime trends, according to the Office for
National Statistics—violent crime is down by 51% since 2010. He
asked about online knife sales. He should be aware that when the
Online Safety Act 2023 is fully in force, very strong action will
be taken, for example against online marketplaces, and the
illegal sale of knives online will become a priority offence
under schedule 7. He will also know that we are bringing forward
legislation to ban a range of machetes and zombie-style knives.
We define them in relation to the features they have. For
example, knives over 7 inches in length with two cutting edges
and serrations will be banned. Those are just some of the
measures we are taking, all of which have helped to bring down
violent crime by 51% since 2010.
Policing Homelessness and Rough Sleeping
(Cities of London and
Westminster) (Con)
3. What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the
Criminal Justice Bill on policing homelessness and rough
sleeping.(901612)
The Minister for Crime, Policing and Fire ()
The Government are committed to ending rough sleeping. Huge
amounts of money are being invested in getting people off the
streets. Rough sleeping levels in England are 35% lower than they
were in 2017. Criminal sanctions where rough sleeping is causing
a problem, for example for businesses, are very much the last
resort in the Criminal Justice Bill. The first resort is giving
people the support they need to find accommodation.
As I walked here today, I passed several rough sleepers in
doorways and in tents. The police already have the ability to
move rough sleepers on under a number of different pieces of
legislation, including the Public Order Act 1986, the Anti-Social
Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 and the Highways Act 1980.
Does the Minister understand my concern that what is suggested in
the Criminal Justice Bill criminalises rough sleepers and does
nothing to help them? The police already have the powers but are
failing to use them.
The powers in the pieces of legislation my hon. Friend lists are
not precisely the same as those in the Criminal Justice Bill. The
Bill does not criminalise rough sleeping in general; it
criminalises particular types of rough sleeping when it causes a
nuisance. That said, as I have signalled privately to various
hon. Members, including my hon. Friend the Member for Cities of
London and Westminster (), the Government are willing
to look at the way those provisions are drafted, to ensure that
they are tightly and narrowly drawn, because out intention is
that the first stop will always be to offer support. Criminal
sanctions are appropriate only as a last resort if rough sleeping
causes a serious problem, for example for businesses.
(Weaver Vale) (Lab)
As drafted, the Bill is a new vagrancy Act with bells on. Rough
sleeping is up 75% since 2010. Rather than criminalise people who
happen to be rough sleeping, should we not provide support and
build the houses they need?
As I said, my colleagues in the Department for Levelling Up,
Housing and Communities are providing extremely comprehensive
packages of support. Rough sleeping is down by 35% since 2017 and
by 28% since before the pandemic in 2019. The Government are
willing to look at changes to make these provisions tightly
defined and narrow. The intention is to use criminal sanctions
only as a last resort where rough sleeping is disrupting a
business, for example, and preventing it from operating. It is a
last resort—the first resort will always be offering help and
support.
Legal Migration
(Banff and Buchan) (Con)
4. What steps he is taking to reduce levels of legal
migration.(901613)
(Derbyshire Dales) (Con)
7. What steps he is taking to reduce levels of legal
migration.(901617)
The Minister for Legal Migration and the Border ()
On 4 December, the Government announced a package of new measures
to further reduce net migration, including but not limited to
stopping overseas care workers bringing family dependants,
increasing the salary threshold for skilled worker visas to
£38,700 and raising the minimum income requirement for family
visas in stages to £38,700. The changes are being introduced
gradually from early 2024 and are not retrospective.
I welcome the measures taken to reduce abuses of the immigration
system, but I also recognise the need to exempt critical
occupations where we have a specific shortage from the new
minimum salary, for example health and care workers. However, in
the Migration Advisory Committee’s interim review of the
immigration salary list, published on Friday, several occupations
have been removed because a discounted salary of around £31,000
is well above the going rate for such occupations. Given the
vital and growing importance of food security across the country,
will my hon. Friend commit to a review of those occupations
which, although not the highest tech or highest paid jobs in our
economy, are none the less critical for our food sector and our
rural and coastal communities?
There is no stronger advocate for the fishing industry in this
House than my hon. Friend. He will appreciate that we have
received that return from the MAC. We will look very carefully at
its recommendations, but my hon. Friend knows that as a
Government we have been consistently flexible in responding to
the needs of the fishing sector. I would argue that there is more
we can do to promote domestic employment, but let me take this
matter away and consider his representations.
Miss Dines
A key issue often raised by my constituents is the desire to see
a dramatic reduction in legal migration. Bearing in mind that the
Opposition appear to have no plan in that regard, can my hon.
Friend reassure me that he will look at new ways to stop this
migration, that he will make sure that everybody has the right to
work in this country and that we will not decrease wages by
bringing in cheap labour from abroad?
My hon. Friend is very supportive of the holistic approach that
the Government are taking on this issue. The measures that we
have announced and are taking forward will reduce the inflows by
300,000. It is important to consider this against the back to
work plan that the Department for Work and Pensions is delivering
to encourage more people to take on these roles domestically. She
should be absolutely certain that we as a Government will deliver
on these measures and will continue to keep them under review to
see whether we can go further. That stands in stark contrast to
those on the Opposition Front Bench, who have no plan at all.
(Coventry South) (Lab)
To cut a long story short, a constituent’s skilled work visa
application was mistakenly withdrawn by the Home Office. The
error has resulted in him no longer having the right to work in
the UK, forcing him and his wife to leave their jobs. His wife is
five months pregnant and, although they pay their NHS surcharge,
the Home Office error means that they are again getting
healthcare bills. The situation is increasingly desperate, so I
ask the Minister to meet me to look into this case and ensure
that this Home Office error does not do any more harm than it
already has for this young couple.
The hon. Lady will appreciate that I do not have the specifics of
the case to hand, but if she kindly shares them with me, I will
look into the case as a matter of urgency.
(Glasgow North) (SNP)
I hope the Minister will take this opportunity to recognise that
the right to claim asylum is allowed under international law and
that, therefore, there is no such thing as an illegal asylum
seeker. On that basis, perhaps he can tell us whether he or any
Minister has met people with lived experience of the system and
whether he will meet the people at the Maryhill Integration
Network in Glasgow North to discuss these issues.
The hon. Member will recognise that, in an answer to one of his
hon. Friends, I said that I would be willing to meet him and his
Glasgow colleagues to discuss some of the challenges. I have made
an undertaking to him that that meeting will happen, and I will
make sure that it happens at the earliest possible opportunity. I
am keen to understand what the challenges are and to make sure
that the support that we are providing to help facilitate
move-ons, for example, is meeting the needs that exist.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Aberavon) (Lab)
Since our last Home Office questions, the list of Government
failures on immigration has continued to grow relentlessly:
30,000 asylum seekers stuck in limbo, unable to be processed due
to the Prime Minister’s legislative fiasco; 250 visas awarded to
a care home that does not actually exist; net migration trebled;
and criminals free to fly into our country undetected on private
jets. Having just sacked the independent inspector of borders and
immigration, is the Home Secretary sitting on 15 different
reports by the inspector because he is checking for typos, or is
it because he is utterly terrified of what those reports will
tell us about this Government’s shambolic and failing immigration
system?
Let me answer that point very directly: having given proper
consideration to those reports, we will be responding to them. As
I said in the House last week, we will do so very soon. The
shadow Minister mentioned the Government trying to dodge
scrutiny. When it comes to the general aviation report, for
example, it was our officials who asked the inspector to take it
forward. Far from dodging scrutiny, we have invited it in that
area. We will respond properly and thoroughly to that report in
exactly the way that I undertook to do last week.
Mr Speaker
I call the SNP spokesperson.
(Glasgow Central)
(SNP)
People who come here to work, study and live make a significant
impact on Scotland’s economy and society, so reducing their
number is entirely self-defeating. Reunite Families UK has
highlighted the disproportionate impact that Tory changes to visa
income thresholds will have on women. I have asked the Minister
this before, and I have yet to have an answer: when will he
publish the full equality impact assessment on this damaging
policy?
We will publish the equality impact assessment associated with
the policy in due course. The hon. Lady will appreciate that the
Government’s position is clear that the current levels of net
migration are not sustainable. We need to take forward a set of
policy measures that deal with that and that promote domestic
employment wherever possible. There is a strong moral case for
the approach that we are taking. None of the measures being
applied is retrospective, but we are convinced that this is the
right thing to do. The British people think that action is
needed, and action is what they are getting.
I spent a lot of time this weekend with members of the Glasgow
branch of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain, which
put on a major demonstration and a service in Glasgow cathedral
at the weekend to mark two years since the escalation of Russian
aggression in Ukraine. The Government’s changes to the Ukraine
scheme came with very little notice and caused a great deal of
uncertainty and distress in that community. Will the Minister
tell me whether, for example, a wife whose husband has been
injured fighting on the frontline against Putin’s war machine
will be able to sponsor her husband to come here under these
restricted rules?
As we said when we debated this issue in the House last week, the
Government are very proud of the amazing response from people
across this country who have opened their homes to Ukrainian
refugees. There will continue to be an out-of-country route
through the Homes for Ukraine scheme to facilitate people being
able to come here from Ukraine. Ukrainian refugees here in the UK
will be able to extend their visas. We gave that certainty way
ahead of the curve, when compared with our international
partners. Ukrainian nationals who would have qualified under the
Ukraine family scheme will still be able to apply under Homes for
Ukraine.
Transnational Repression by Hostile States
(Birmingham, Edgbaston)
(Lab/Co-op)
5. What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of steps
taken by his Department to tackle transnational repression by
hostile states.(901615)
The Minister for Security ()
I thank the hon. Lady for her question. She is aware that the
Government are continually assessing the potential threats to
individual rights and freedoms and to safety across the United
Kingdom. I thank her for the efforts she made to represent her
views to me in a different forum.
Whenever we identify such threats, we will always use every
measure at our disposal, including our intelligence services, to
mitigate any threat to individuals. In the first instance, I urge
anyone concerned for their safety to contact the police. The hon.
Lady will no doubt be aware that the National Security Act 2023
includes measures to tackle foreign interference, including
transnational repression. The defending democracy taskforce is
reviewing the UK’s response to develop our understanding of the
issue and ensure a system-wide response.
Transnational repression to silence dissent in democracies is
extremely serious. In recent months, Five Eyes nations have
raised concerns about the actions of agents with links to India
targeting Sikh activists in the United Kingdom. Most
disturbingly, there have been alleged assassinations and foiled
assassination plots. The US and Canadian authorities have taken
the lead at senior levels to publicly call out this challenge to
their sovereignty, the rule of law and their democratic values.
Given the reports of British Sikhs facing similar threats, what
steps are the Government taking to secure their safety? Will the
Minister show the same strength as our partners do in publicly
defending their democratic rights?
Let me be completely clear: if there are any specific threats
against any British citizen by any foreign power, we will take
immediate action. The Sikh community should be as safe as every
other community in the United Kingdom. All British citizens are
equal, whatever their colour, creed, faith or political
allegiance. The reality is that we have taken all the action we
believe is appropriate at this stage. We of course maintain a
very close relationship with our Five Eyes partners, and we are
absolutely clear that if the situation changes and we need to
take action, we will do so.
(Barnsley Central) (Lab)
Russia’s deadly poison attack in Salisbury, Iran’s intimidation
of Iran International journalists and China’s secret police
stations have long showed the need for a robust strategy to
counter transnational repression on British soil. The Minister
mentioned that a review is under way into the UK’s approach to
transnational repression. When will it be published, and will it
be part of a wider strategy to counter hostile state activity in
this country?
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. The review is under
way, and it includes many different elements from communities
from around the world who are now settled happily in the United
Kingdom. He will understand why I will not go into individual
details. Certain communities have been targeted, such as the Hong
Kong Chinese community, which is now very welcome in the United
Kingdom under a policy that this Government introduced—I am very
proud of the number who have claimed asylum and taken the
opportunity as British nationals overseas to settle here—and we
are looking at others. We are open to any reports of
transnational repression, and we are listening.
Violent Crime: Young People
(Stockton North) (Lab)
8. What steps his Department is taking to identify young people
most at risk of being drawn into violent crime.(901618)
(Luton North) (Lab)
19. What steps his Department is taking to identify young people
most at risk of being drawn into violent crime.(901630)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home
Department ()
Since 2019, we have invested £160 million in 20 violence
reduction units across England and Wales, and a further £55
million has been committed this year. Violence reduction units
have reached more than 270,000 young people. They bring together
specialists from health, the police, local government and
community organisations not just to tackle violent crime, but to
identify the young people who are most at risk of being drawn
into it and provide evidence-based interventions to support
them.
I am grateful for that answer. Children as young as 12 are being
recruited by local drug dealers in the central wards of Stockton,
and are provided with pocket money—huge sums for them—to carry
and deliver class A and class B drugs. Many of them are in thrall
to their balaclava-wearing controllers, who largely act with
impunity. Although the police and other agencies work hard to
combat such organised crime, Cleveland has the highest crime rate
in the country, and police and councils do not have the fair
funding needed to deal with criminals or provide good
diversionary activities for those vulnerable young people. What
will the Minister do to sort that out?
I can reassure the hon. Gentleman that, under our tackling
organised exploitation programme, we are keenly aware of the
difference between victims and criminals, and that children are
being drawn into criminal enterprises and gangs at ever-younger
ages. I want to provide reassurance that where we have evidence
of that happening, the child should be referred through the
national referral mechanism—the framework for identifying victims
of exploitation by county lines groups and equivalents. That can
be done with or without the child’s consent, and it provides the
police with a vital tool not just to protect the child but to
disrupt the criminal activity in which they are being
enlisted.
Last week, Bedfordshire police reported that two drug dealers who
had trafficked a vulnerable 15-year-old child from Luton to sell
drugs were sentenced under modern slavery laws. Although that
conviction is of course welcome, I think we can all agree that
this is not just slavery; it is the despicable act of grooming
children into a life of drugs, gangs and violence. Why do not the
Government back our plans for a new specific offence to lock up
such criminals for exactly what they are doing and stop them
exploiting children and young people for a life of crime?
I agree with much of what the hon. Lady says. The Prime Minister
implemented new measures to deal with child sexual exploitation
in April of last year, but part of that deals with organised
exploitation, which goes wider. I am glad to hear that those two
criminals were convicted under modern slavery laws. I want to
reassure her that, under our Criminal Justice Bill, which is
making its way through the House, grooming gangs will receive
enhanced sentences.
(Chipping Barnet)
(Con)
It is deeply disturbing when children and young people are
involved in violent crime. Experience from around the world shows
that a whole-of-Government approach is crucial in tackling the
problem, as has been acknowledged in successive Government
strategies. Will the Minister give us an update on how the
Government are ensuring that that is delivered?
If I have understood my right hon. Friend’s question correctly, I
can tell her that we are doing a huge amount on child
exploitation. Only last week, we implemented the No. 1
recommendation of the independent inquiry into child sexual
abuse, for mandatory reporting, and we have more to come. This
remains a Government priority.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Enfield North) (Lab)
The Minister says that the Government are doing loads, but since
2018 there has been a huge increase in the number of weapons
seized in schools in some areas of the country, with knives and
Tasers found in some instances. Our young people continue to bear
the brunt of the Tories’ decision to hollow out youth services
and prevention work in our communities. Meanwhile, ninja swords
and other weapons remain just a google search away. Parents
should not fear for their children’s safety at school. When will
the Government match Labour’s ambition for a Young Futures
programme and prioritise the safety and opportunities of our
young people?
I make no apology for the success of our violence reduction units
and the difference that they have made to young people’s lives
since 2019. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Crime, Policing
and Fire made the point that the crime survey for England and
Wales shows that there has been a 51% fall in violent crime since
2010. More than that, our violence reduction units, working in
conjunction with our Grip hotspot policing, have delivered a
statistically significant fall in violent injuries. Hospital
admissions for knife crime and equivalent have fallen by 25%
since 2019, and overall knife crime has fallen nationally by 5%
since 2019, all in the life in this Parliament. We have banned
zombie knives and cyclone knives, and our Criminal Justice Bill
will give the police more powers to make pre-emptive
seizures.
Police Bail Curfew Conditions
(North West Norfolk) (Con)
9. What assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of levels
of compliance with post-charge police bail curfew
conditions.(901619)
The Minister for Crime, Policing and Fire ()
Decisions on bail conditions are set, enforced and monitored
locally, but it is very important that where police bail
conditions are set down, they are adhered to, in order to protect
the public.
Three members of my constituent’s family were killed in an
appalling dangerous driving case. The offender was on police bail
at the time, with curfew conditions, for a separate offence.
Given that legislation does not allow for tagging in such cases
to enforce those curfew conditions, will my right hon. Friend
consider bringing forward changes to the law so that electronic
monitoring can be used for offenders released on post-charge
police bail?
My hon. Friend raises a very important point, informed by a
tragic case in his own constituency. He is right that, as it
stands, the legislation does not allow for tagging of people who
are simply on police bail—that is to say, before their first
appearance in court. There are some considerations to do with
whether tagging constitutes a form of punishment and whether that
is appropriate prior to a court hearing. However, my hon. Friend
raises a reasonable point informed by a constituency case, and I
am happy to take it away and look at it with him.
(Strangford) (DUP)
I thank the Minister very much for that response. Obviously, with
a renewed and reinvigorated Northern Ireland Assembly and a
Minister in place, we in Northern Ireland are very keen to work
alongside the Minister on some of the suggestions he has referred
to. Will he contact the policing and justice Minister in the
Northern Ireland Executive to ensure that what is going to happen
here can happen to us in Northern Ireland, and that we can all
gain the advantage?
I thank the hon. Member for his question. It is, of course, very
good news that the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive have
been restored. Policing is devolved, so the Assembly and
Executive can set their own policy. However, if they would like
any information about the policies we are pursuing in the England
and Wales jurisdiction, I would be very happy to share that
information and work constructively and collaboratively with all
the devolved Administrations, including in Northern Ireland.
Local Policing
(South West Bedfordshire)
(Con)
10. What recent discussions he has had with chief constables on
delivering policing at a local level.(901620)
The Minister for Crime, Policing and Fire ()
We have very regular discussions with chief constables across the
country about local policing—in fact, just this morning I had a
discussion with the chief constable of Staffordshire Police about
some local policing issues in that county. It is a dialogue that
happens on a regular and ongoing basis. Police chief constables
are, of course, operationally independent, but we work very
closely in partnership with them.
Leighton Buzzard, Dunstable and Houghton Regis are the third,
fourth and fifth largest towns in Bedfordshire, yet they have a
fraction of the police officers that are based in Luton and
Bedford. Will the Minister speak to the chief constable to ensure
that we get a fairer allocation of the record number of police
officers we have in Bedfordshire, spread across the county and
with a 24/7 first responder presence?
My hon. Friend is a doughty champion for his part of
Bedfordshire. He is quite right to say that Bedfordshire, in
common with many other parts of the country—and indeed with
England and Wales as a whole —has a record number of police
officers. In the case of Bedfordshire, the number is 1,456, and
across England and Wales as a whole we now have over 149,000
officers: that is more than we have ever had before, and over
3,000 more than we had under the last Labour Government.
I speak regularly to Chief Constable Trevor Rodenhurst and the
excellent police and crime commissioner in Bedfordshire, . Of course, how they
deploy their record headcount is a matter for them, rather than
for Government, but I will certainly mention the issues that my
hon. Friend has raised when I next speak to them—I think we are
having a meeting quite shortly—and I know that my hon. Friend
will mention these issues as well.
(Brent Central) (Lab)
At the weekend I had to seek extra police support, due to the
far-right abuse that I have suffered, which has been inspired and
unleashed in part by the conspiracy theories and racist,
Islamophobic, anti-Muslim hate peddled by the Members for
Ashfield (), for Fareham () and for South West
Norfolk (). [Interruption.]
Mr Speaker
Order. You cannot name Members.
It was peddled by Members of the Government party. Does the
Minister agree that there is no place in this House or society
for such divisive language? One Member has had the Whip removed.
Does the Minister agree that other Members should also have the
Whip removed, or does he agree with the points that were
made?
This House as a whole should be clear that hatred based on
religion or race has no part in a civilised country, whether it
is directed towards the Jewish community, who have suffered a
surge in antisemitism, or the Muslim community. The Conservative
party is prepared to act extremely quickly, as we did at the
weekend—a great deal faster than the Labour party when it had an
issue in Rochdale.
(Stoke-on-Trent North)
(Con)
I am pleased that the Minister made reference to his meeting with
the chief constable of Staffordshire Police after a disgusting
hate mob appeared outside a Stoke-on-Trent Conservative
fundraiser on Friday. It appears that a police officer allowed
members of the public, who were spewing their hatred, into the
venue’s private function room, where they sought to intimidate,
harass and bully members old and young—some as young as 11 years
old. One individual involved used to be a member of the now
proscribed terrorist organisation Hizb ut-Tahrir. Is it not about
time that we in this House stood up— because, I am sorry, Mr
Speaker, but the actions of last week emboldened these
individuals to take such action—and said with a clear voice that
democracy will not be subdued in this way?
Yes, that is important. We make it clear in this House that
Members of Parliament, elected councillors or anyone engaging in
political activity, including attending political events, should
be able to do so without intimidation and without harassment. No
one in this House should feel that they have to change their
vote, or change procedure, as a result of external pressure.
What happened in Stoke city on Friday evening was completely
unacceptable. A political meeting was disrupted, and indeed
closed down by protest. That is unacceptable. This morning, I met
the chief constable and the police and crime commissioner of
Staffordshire to make that clear. I also spoke this morning to
the chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, Chief Constable
Gavin Stephens, to make the same point. I am pleased to report to
the House that four people have now been arrested in relation to
the incident in Stoke city—[Interruption.]—on charges under
section 4A of the Public Order Act 1986 and section 68 of the
Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994—
Mr Speaker
Order. Sorry, Minister, but we cannot both be standing at the
same time.
(Exeter) (Lab)
Has the Minister had a chance recently to talk to the
Conservative Police and Crime
Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall Police, which has been
in special measures since 2022, and is now being sued by seven
former and serving women police officers for failing to deal with
rapes, emotional abuse and beatings over a number of years? What
can he do to reassure the public in Devon and Cornwall that these
allegations will be thoroughly independently investigated and any
wrongdoing acted on?
Of course, we have the Independent Office for Police Conduct to
make sure that there is an independent body available to
investigate serious allegations about police forces or their
conduct of particular investigations. On the Engage process, the
chief inspector of constabulary chairs regular meetings of the
policing performance oversight group, where forces in Engage are
looked at and overseen. Devon and Cornwall is one of those
forces, along with the West Midlands and London.
(South East Cornwall)
(Con)
Local policing is really important. I have had some good news
from my police and crime commissioner, , which is that Liskeard
is to have a new police inquiry office. Would my right hon.
Friend join me in welcoming this, and will he look at what
further funding is available for this to happen in other
towns?
I pay tribute to the excellent police and crime commissioner,
, for the work that she
has done to get the Liskeard centre open, and of course I pay
tribute to my hon. Friend for her tireless work campaigning on
behalf of Devon and Cornwall Police. Devon and Cornwall Police
now has 3,718 officers, which is a record, and next year it will
be receiving £28 million more funding compared with the current
financial year, providing plenty of money to invest in services,
as my hon. Friend quite rightly requests.
(Kingston upon Hull West and
Hessle) (Lab)
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for everything you do to keep Members of
Parliament safe. I know that so much of it goes unseen.
I know, from talking to residents in Hull West and Hessle, that
they are deeply concerned about the rise in antisocial behaviour.
Antisocial behaviour is not trivial; it has a huge impact on
neighbourhoods and on the mental health of the people subjected
to it. So why are the Government failing to take it
seriously?
With great respect, that is complete nonsense. The Government
published an antisocial behaviour action plan just last year.
From April of this year, in just a couple of months’ time, every
single police area in England and Wales will have funding—£66
million in total—to run hotspot patrols in areas where there is
antisocial behaviour or serious violence problems. We have 10
force areas running pilots for immediate justice, where people
committing ASB have to do immediate reparations, and we banned
nitrous oxide on 8 November last year. So an action plan is being
implemented, and every single police force is having money to run
hotspot patrols to combat ASB.
Asylum Accommodation: Safety and Wellbeing
(Sheffield, Hallam) (Lab)
11. What steps his Department is taking to help ensure the safety
and wellbeing of asylum seekers in asylum accommodation. [R]
(901621)
The Minister for Legal Migration and the Border ()
We continue to provide safe, habitable and fit-for-purpose
accommodation for asylum seekers who would otherwise be
destitute. The Home Office has established procedures to hold
contracted accommodation providers responsible for the provision
of the safety, security and wellbeing of asylum seekers. In
addition, asylum seekers have access to a 24/7 helpline to raise
concerns and make formal complaints.
Recent tragic events demonstrate that even those who are at risk
of suicide are ignored after repeatedly raising concerns about
their mental health in asylum accommodation. Why have Ministers
changed the allocation of asylum accommodation policy to make it
harder for people to prove that they are at risk of harm at a
particular site? Will they learn the lessons from December’s
tragic incident?
I do not accept the depiction that the hon. Lady paints of the
situation. We of course make appropriate case-by-case decisions
about accommodation arrangements for individuals, reflecting the
needs they have and with proper referrals made, as one would
rightly expect, to any other agencies that may be required to
ensure somebody’s health or wellbeing, and that any safeguarding
issues are properly addressed. Migrant Help support is of course
available for people to access 24/7 and raise any issues.
Illegal Migration: Co-operation with France
(Lichfield) (Con)
12. What recent progress he has made with his French counterparts
on tackling illegal migration.(901622)
The Minister for Countering Illegal Migration ()
Joint working with our French partners is crucial to stopping the
boats. Thanks in no small part to that joint working, small boat
crossings were down by 46% last year.
My spies tell me that my hon. and learned Friend was in France
just nine days ago. Were there any lessons to be learned from the
French authorities about more co-operation that can go on to stop
the boats even further?
My hon. Friend is right: I was in France nine days ago. Even
while I was there, a boat was seized, but he is right to say that
more needs to be done. Personnel, equipment and technology are
key to breaking the business model of the criminal gangs. Having
met the new Préfet du Nord, I am in no doubt that this is a joint
mission.
(North West Leicestershire)
(Ind)
Will the Minister update the House on the number of illegal
migrants who have crossed the channel and are currently being
accommodated in hotels at the expense of the public purse? How
does that compare with the number of UK nationals who are
currently homeless or sleeping rough?
I can confirm that the Government have beaten our target of
closing 50 hotels by the end of January, which I am sure the hon.
Gentleman will want to welcome.
Asylum Hotels
(Shrewsbury and Atcham)
(Con)
13. What progress his Department has made on closing asylum
hotels.(901623)
The Minister for Legal Migration and the Border ()
The Home Office has been clear that the use of hotels was a
temporary and short-term measure to ensure that we met our
statutory obligation to accommodate destitute asylum seekers
during a period of unprecedented numbers of small boat arrivals.
We are making significant progress in closing hotels, with more
than 64 closed by the end of January.
I thank the Minister for that answer. Shrewsbury has more listed
buildings than any other town in England, and we benefit from
beautiful architecture that attracts a huge amount of tourism
from across the United Kingdom and overseas. Our top hotel in the
centre of Shrewsbury is being used to house illegal migrants. We
were given an assurance that the hotel would be taken out of that
use, yet we have heard nothing further from the Minister or his
Department. When will the Lion Hotel in Shrewsbury revert back to
its normal use, which is housing tourists?
It is certainly the case that I have not given an assurance to
that effect, but I know that my hon. Friend will welcome the fact
that we are tracking ahead of profile when it comes to closing
hotels, and the number of people accommodated in hotels is going
down. We will continue to make progress in order to allow more
closures. I hear his representations about the hotel in his
constituency. We are committed to this. We are making progress
and we will see it through.
(Westmorland and Lonsdale) (LD)
Obviously the overwhelming majority of those seeking asylum here
and who are in residential accommodation desperately do not want
to be in that accommodation. They want their application to be
heard and processed quickly. The Minister knows that around three
quarters of those people will be granted asylum in this country.
Does he agree that part of the process, while a person is waiting
for their hearing and for their decision to be made, surely
should be looking at integration? Given that, is not time to give
asylum seekers the right to work in this country? That would be
good for them morally, but also good for the Government and the
taxpayer, because they would contribute to their own upkeep.
It is fair to say that such an approach would make a mockery of
our legal migration system and people playing by the rules,
lodging applications and paying the appropriate fees. It is right
that where people are granted asylum, we support them to be able
to move on as quickly as possible. Work is a key part of that. I
just wish the hon. Gentleman had the same energy to try to help
more of our people domestically to be able to take on these
roles, rather than saying that we should resort to migrant labour
all the time.
Neighbourhood Policing
(Tamworth) (Lab)
14. What recent assessment his Department has made of the
adequacy of neighbourhood policing levels. (901624)
Figures for local policing started to be published in 2015, with
61,083 roles at the time. The most recent figures for March last
year show that the number had increased by 6,000 to 67,785.
With a growing number of my constituents not even reporting
crimes because they do not have access to a public police
station, will the Minister reconsider additional funds to ensure
that local police stations, such as Tamworth’s, are reopening
public-facing police desks?
Staffordshire constabulary will receive an extra £16 million next
year compared with the current financial year, which is a
significant increase. They now have more than 2,000 police
officers due to our uplift programme, which has seen record
police numbers across England and Wales.
(Rother Valley)
(Con)
One of the most commonly reported crimes in Rother Valley is
burglary, either to rob homes or to break into homes and steal
car keys. Does the Minister agree that every area, especially
South Yorkshire, should have a dedicated burglary police team to
deal with those particular issues and ensure we clamp down on
those awful crimes?
The previous Home Secretary, my right hon. and learned Friend the
Member for Fareham () was successful in
securing a commitment from police to ensure that every
residential burglary has a visit from the police, but my hon.
Friend’s idea for a dedicated burglary taskforce is excellent,
and I commend it to all police and crime commissioners.
Topical Questions
(Glasgow South West)
(SNP)
T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental
responsibilities.(901635)
The Minister for Security ()
With permission, Mr Speaker, I will make a brief statement. Over
the past few weeks, we have seen disgraceful attempts to
intimidate this House, to undermine the democratic process and to
spread fear among those who have been elected to represent our
country. That is unacceptable. It must end.
To this House, I want to say clearly that the Government will
defend our democracy. We are working with the police and with
Parliament to ensure that disagreements are resolved in this
House through debate, not outside with threats of violence. To
those who seek to threaten this House, I say this: we will not be
cowed; we will not be intimidated; and we will not be silenced.
We will do whatever is necessary to protect those elected to
represent us, to safeguard our freedoms and to protect our
rights. I know I speak for colleagues across the whole House when
I say we will always act in the interests of our constituents and
our country.
I thank the Minister for that answer. He will be aware that there
has been a 335% increase in Islamophobic hate cases in the UK
since 7 October, and a 589% rise in antisemitic incidents
compared with 2022. That is affecting our most marginalised and
vulnerable groups. What steps is the Minister taking to protect
worshippers and faith schools and to reduce unprecedented levels
of hate across these islands?
Over the past year this Government have increased the funding to
the Community Security Trust by around £3 million, taking the
total to around £18 million. We have spent a similar amount on
other places of worship—only last week I approved spending on
security measures to mosques and churches around the country,
exactly to counter the kind of hate crimes that the hon. Member
described. We have engaged with not just the Community Security
Trust but organisations such as Tell MAMA, which do a fantastic
job of engaging with us on anti-Muslim hatred. It is extremely
important that we all work together, not just to support and
protect every religion and community in our country but to ensure
that we lower the tension so that we can all be free to express
our views.
(Aylesbury) (Con)
T2. Stealing from small convenience stories is causing concern
because of both the financial impact on owners and the threat of
violence towards staff. I am grateful to the Minister for meeting
colleagues and me to discuss this last week. I pay tribute to the
Thames Valley police and crime commissioner for his excellent retail
crime strategy. Will my right hon. Friend set out how the
Government plan to tackle those thefts and threats?(901636)
The Minister for Crime, Policing and Fire ()
This is a very serious issue. The Government have a retail crime
action plan agreed with police, which includes making sure that
the police always attend when a suspect is detained, when police
attendance is needed to secure evidence or when there has been an
assault. It also includes always following up every single line
of inquiry when retail crime occurs, including running footage of
the offender through the facial recognition database, and
identifying and going after the criminal gangs that often are
behind shoplifting.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Secretary of State.
(Normanton, Pontefract and
Castleford) (Lab)
Last week, Tell MAMA reported that anti-Muslim hate incidents
have trebled. That follows recent reports that antisemitic
incidents have hit a record high. We all must challenge all forms
of threat, prejudice, racism and hate. Having heard the words
from the former deputy chair of the Conservative party of a
Muslim Mayor, who said that his “mates” are Islamist extremists
and that he has been taken over by “Islamists”, is any Home
Office Minister now prepared to stand up and say not only that
those words about the London Mayor are wrong, but that they
believe they were Islamophobic and should be condemned as
such?
Within 24 hours of those words being used, this Prime Minister
took immediate action by removing the Whip from that individual.
If only all leaders of every political party were as quick to
remove the Whip from those who spread hatred in our community. As
Rochdale sadly demonstrates, they are not.
I am sorry that the Minister, who I know takes issues seriously,
chose not to respond to my question. Rightly, on all sides of the
House we have called out and condemned antisemitism, and we must
continue to do so. If Government Ministers cannot openly
challenge Islamophobia, they play into the hands of
extremists—both far right and Islamist. The Minister will know
that hate crime fuels extremism. If the Government took any of
this seriously, they would not have just ditched plans for a new
hate crime strategy or left it nine years to update the
countering extremism strategy. Does he agree that it is not just
their inability to say the words but their failure to act that is
leaving our communities exposed?
I am sorry that the right hon. Lady does not see the action as
clearly as others in this House. The Whip was removed immediately
because anti-Muslim hatred is wrong. There is no hierarchy in
hatred or racism. It is all wrong. Anti-Muslim hatred is wrong.
The support that some have given to Islamist communities in our
country is tragic and this Government will work against it. That
is exactly why we have proscribed Hizb ut-Tahrir—because we will
work against hatred from whichever community, in whatever way it
comes.
(Tewkesbury) (Con)
T4. I understand that the Government are looking to further
restrict the ability of sex offenders to change their name.
Should we not impose at least the same restrictions, or perhaps
an outright ban, on those convicted of murder, because they can
continue to be a threat to the families of those they
murdered?(901638)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home
Department ()
The Home Office explored whether a name-change ban should be
extended to murderers and determined that the operational need
did not exist. Anyone convicted of murder automatically receives
a life sentence. If they are released from prison, they are
managed by probation for the remainder of their life and they
remain under an obligation to notify probation within 72 hours of
any change of their name. Should they fail to do so, they face
immediate recall to prison and up to an extra five years behind
bars. So far, we feel that that is working adequately.
(Lewisham, Deptford)
(Lab)
T3. Next month, it will be four years since the publication of
the cross-party Youth Violence Commission report, which
recommended violence reduction units. However, knife crime and
serious violence are soaring across the country. Does the
Minister accept that his Government’s severe cuts to police
numbers, which mean we are at the bottom of international ranking
tables, is leaving our young people and communities without the
protection they need?(901637)
Perhaps I have not said often enough in this Chamber that we now
have record numbers of police officers across England and Wales,
including in the Metropolitan police area, which has the highest
number of police officers per capita of any police force in the
country. Despite that, I was disappointed to see in the recent
figures published that, while across the rest of the country
excluding London knife crime went down, on Sadiq Khan’s watch in
London it went up.
(Dudley North) (Con)
T5. In 2010, the period of service to be eligible for a police
long service medal changed from 22 years to 20 years. Sadly, no
decision was made to award it retrospectively, meaning that
people such as Sedgley resident Guy Hewlett, who served with
distinction for 20 years, were excluded. This seems to be
fundamentally unfair. Will the Home Secretary agree to look into
that unfairness, as a simple remedy could be found to recognise
officers who served for the minimum 20 years pre
2010?(901639)
Changes of this nature are generally not applied retrospectively.
I will look at that matter again. Normally, when a
length-of-service period has changed it applies prospectively
rather than retrospectively, but I will look at the issue.
(Twickenham) (LD)
T6. Last month, tragically, a young man was stabbed to death at
Strawberry Hill station in my constituency. The Minister will
know that the key to tackling violent crime is intelligence-led
community policing, but despite his previous answer we have seen
police officers cut by a third since 2015 and regular
abstractions from my constituency into central London. When will
the Minister ensure that my constituents have a visible policing
presence again so they feel safe?(901640)
I am sure that is a question the hon. Lady will be posing to
London’s police and crime commissioner, , in the course of the upcoming
mayoral election. Thanks to Government funding, the Metropolitan
police, in common with England and Wales, now has record police
numbers. In the case of the Met there are about 35,000, and in
the rest of the country there are about 149,000. In fact, not
only does London have the highest per capita funding of any force
in the country, it has the highest number of officers per capita
of any force in the country, so really has no excuse at all.
(North Norfolk) (Con)
Under the new changes, the minimum income threshold for family
visas is being raised incrementally over the next year. However,
the only date we have been given so far for that threshold
increase is 11 April 2024. For people like my constituents who
are planning to get married and are making wedding plans, will
the Minister set out when we will have further clarity and an
update on the timetable for announcing the future thresholds?
The Minister for Legal Migration and the Border ()
I am grateful to my hon. Friend and I recognise his desire for
certainty. What I can say is that we expect to complete the
reform in early 2025, with further staging posts to come. We are,
of course, carefully monitoring the implementation through the
period of delivering the initial increase. It is right that we go
about it in that incremental way to give certainty to people.
(Bristol East) (Lab)
T7. In Bristol, we have sadly seen a number of young people
killed by knife crime in the last few weeks. We have a
Conservative police and crime commissioner, but unlike the
Minister I have no desire to party politicise this. What is he
doing to work with the Department for Education to ensure schools
are involved in trying to lead the fight against knife crime and
young people getting involved, whether as victims or
perpetrators?(901641)
The Youth Endowment Fund, led by , has received a £200 million
endowment. Its mission is to work with young people—and that
includes working with schools in the way that the hon. Lady has
described —to identify the most effective interventions that
could stop young people getting on to the wrong track, a track
that can often have tragic consequences. The youth endowment fund
is working with violence reduction units in the 20 police force
areas most affected, which are spending £55 million a year, to
make the necessary interventions, for instance in schools, to
keep our young people safe.
(Wrexham) (Con)
During a recent night out in Wrexham, where I am known as a nurse
as well as the Member of Parliament, I was asked to help police
with a man who had collapsed. As I was beginning cardiac
resuscitation, the emergency call handler said that the first
responder would be with us in an hour and 15 minutes. Fortunately
the man was stabilised, but then came the wait. We are well used
to the level of service provided by the Welsh Labour Government,
but has the Minister made any assessment of how much time is lost
by the police attending emergency services?
I thank my hon. Friend for her work in helping the community: her
service has been exemplary. The police will of course help when
there is a threat to life or safety or when criminality is
involved, but when the emergency is purely medical, for instance
when someone is undergoing a mental health crisis, it is for the
NHS to respond, and the nationwide roll-out of the Right Care,
Right Person model across England—and soon, I hope, across Wales
as well—will ensure that a medical response comes when it is
needed.
(North West Leicestershire)
(Ind)
T8. Yew Lodge hotel in the north-west Leicestershire village of
Kegworth continues to accommodate 230 male illegal migrants. How
much longer will this blight be inflicted on my constituents by
the Government?(901642)
The hon. Gentleman makes no mention of the fact that one of the
hotels in his constituency is being closed, but he might like to
welcome that. He should actually be backing the Government,
because we are getting on with closing these hotels. We are
tracking ahead of profile in that regard, and we also have a
credible plan to reduce the inflow of people crossing the channel
by illegal means.
Sir (Northampton North) (Con)
In respect of the projection of an antisemitic,
terrorist-originating slogan on to the Big Ben tower last week,
the Metropolitan Police Commissioner claims that he is powerless.
That is utter nonsense, Among other options, the police could use
section 4A of the Public Order Act 1986, which refers to the use
of
“threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour”
with
“intent to cause…harassment, alarm or distress”.
It was behaviour, and it was insulting to Jews and many others.
The police could also have reasonably feared a breach of the
peace, ordered the removal of the projection machine, and, if
there was non-compliance, arrested the individual for obstructing
a constable under the Police Act 1996. I have personally
prosecuted people for these offences. Police who fail to do their
duty can be disciplined for neglect of that duty. Will the
Minister act?
I am sure that all Members were horrified when those political
statements, one of which, by implication, called for the
destruction of Israel, were beamed on to the Big Ben tower. It
was totally unacceptable, and, incidentally, it was also a breach
of planning law. I do expect the police to take action; my right
hon. and learned Friend, a former Attorney General, has set out a
number of grounds on which it could have been taken, and he can
rest assured that I have forcefully communicated that to the
commissioner already.
(North East Fife)
(LD)
T9. One of my constituents has been waiting for his asylum
substantive interview for well over 18 months. He sat for four
hours waiting for an interview to start, but it was then
cancelled with no explanation. There are clearly systemic issues,
but can the Department look at this particular case so that it
can be resolved?(901643)
I know that the hon. Lady will welcome the improvements that we
are making in the processing of asylum claims, which are
reflected in the way in which the legacy backlog has been dealt
with, but if she can give me some specific details, I will
certainly ask the team to have a look at it as soon as
possible.
(South Derbyshire)
(Con)
May I thank my hon. Friend for not only closing the four-star
Newton Park asylum hotel at the beginning of February, but doing
so 26 days early? The villagers and the people who use the V3 bus
service are extremely grateful for this exceptionally good
practice.
I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for her work in representing the
views of her constituents on this issue. She firmly backs the
Government’s plan, which is allowing us to get on with closing
hotels such as the one in her constituency, and we will continue
to make progress to deliver on our commitments.
(Easington) (Lab)
Banking protocols clearly state that banks should contact the
police when they detect fraud. HSBC rightly prevented a
vulnerable constituent of mine from conducting a bank transfer to
fraudsters in South Africa. However, owing to a failure to notify
the police, the fraud continued, and as a result my constituent
lost more than £32,000, transferred with the use of Apple gift
cards. What advice can the Minister give? What recourse has my
constituent to recover the money from HSBC? If it had followed
the protocols laid down, appropriate safeguards would have been
put in place.
I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for raising this issue. Fraud
is a blight on our society and leaves many people feeling
vulnerable and extremely nervous about using online services and
the wider economy. I am delighted to say that fraud is already
down by 13%, and there is more we are doing on this issue. I urge
his constituent to follow the advice of the advertising campaign
we are launching, which is Stop! Think Fraud. This is a huge
issue on which we are working with police forces around the
country, which is why we have 400 new police officers in the
national fraud service and the national fraud intelligence
unit.
(Tunbridge Wells) (Con)
Last September my private Member’s Bill, which made public sexual
harassment a criminal offence, received Royal Assent. Will the
Minister say when that Act of Parliament will be commenced and
when guidance to police forces will be issued?
I thank my right hon. Friend for his question. It was a pleasure
to support his Bill as it went through the House. I cannot say
exactly when it will be commenced, but I hope he will be
reassured to hear that I had a meeting with officials about
commencement earlier this month.
Mr Speaker
I call the Chair of the Select Committee.
(Kingston upon Hull North)
(Lab)
Last week, the Home Secretary fired the Chief Inspector of
Borders and Immigration after losing confidence in him when he
went public with his concerns. As the Home Office failed to
publish 15 reports from the inspector despite an agreement that
it would publish them within eight weeks of receipt, and with
matters of border security at stake, is Mr David Neal actually a
whistleblower?
The Minister for Countering Illegal Migration ()
As the right hon. Lady knows, Mr Neal’s appointment was
terminated after he breached the terms of his appointment and
lost the trust of the Home Secretary in relation to the reports
that she mentions. As she would expect, reports and
recommendations are always considered carefully by Ministers, and
they will be published in due course.
(Redditch) (Con)
The slogan that was projected on to Big Ben last Wednesday was
extreme and antisemitic. To many, it calls for the destruction of
Israel and is seen as a genocidal statement. Decent people around
the country—not just Jews—find that appalling. Does the Minister
agree that there are criminal offences that could be used for
prosecutions, and will he reiterate his calls for the police to
prosecute those responsible?
I share my hon. Friend’s view. As the former Attorney General my
right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Northampton North
(Sir ) pointed out a few minutes
ago, there were a number of bases on which the police could have
acted to prevent that projection. Big Ben is not a canvas for
political campaigning, particularly where the slogans are deeply
offensive in nature, and that is a view I have made very clear to
the commissioner.
(Cardiff West) (Lab)
Last week, I raised on a point of order the case of my
constituent Marte Prenga and her two-year-old daughter, who are
stuck overseas, and I was assured that those on the Treasury
Bench would pass on to Home Office Ministers the details of their
plight. Can I please have a meeting with an Immigration Minister,
as this issue is still unresolved?
I think the hon. Gentleman knows that we Ministers are always
approachable and accessible, and I would be happy to speak to him
about that matter.
(Buckingham) (Con)
Thames Valley police have consistently set the pace on combating
rural crime, and next year’s budget includes provisions to
effectively double our rural crime taskforce. Will the Policing
Minister join me in congratulating Thames Valley police on all
they are doing and, more importantly, ensure that the Home Office
learns from their best practice so that it can be applied across
the country?
I pay tribute to Thames Valley’s excellent police and crime
commissioner, , for the work he is doing
in combating rural crime and crime more widely. We have funded a
rural crime unit within the National Police Chiefs’ Council, but
I am happy to look at the excellent work in Thames Valley to
ensure that lessons are learned across the country.
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