Oral Answers to Questions

Alun Cairns Excerpts

Monday 17th January 2022 Commons Chamber

[Peter Gibson (Darlington) (Con)]

9. What steps her Department is taking to ensure that the police are adequately funded to enable them to reduce crime.

[Alun Cairns (Vale of Glamorgan) (Con)]

12. What progress the Government have made on improving resources for South Wales Police.

[Andy Carter (Warrington South) (Con)]

20. What steps her Department is taking to ensure that the police are adequately funded to enable them to reduce crime.

--- Later in debate ---

[Kit Malthouse]

I am pleased to hear that that substantial award from the safer streets fund is making a difference in my hon. Friend’s constituency, and of course I would be more than happy to meet him to talk about how we can better fight crime in his patch.

[Alun Cairns]

Vale of Glamorgan, like many rural areas, experiences horrendous animal welfare incidents, from illegal dog breeding and hare coursing to fly-grazing and horse neglect. Will my right hon. Friend join me in congratulating Chief Inspector Rees and her team of officers on how they have used the additional resources that have been made available to combat some of the worst crimes we could possibly imagine?

[Kit Malthouse]

I am more than happy to join my right hon. Friend in congratulating his local police force on their work in this area, and I am pleased to hear that his non-human constituents are as important to him as the human ones. He will be aware that some of these truly appalling crimes need to be addressed much more assertively, and I hope he has noticed that, in the Police, Crime, Courts and Sentencing Bill, we are tabling amendments specifically on hare coursing, which will help to fight that awful crime.