Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many incidents relating to deer management required an armed response from police officers in the year 2023-24.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not hold any data on the number of incidents related to deer management reported by police forces, or how many required an armed police response.
While the Home Office does collect and publish annual statistics on the number of police firearms operations, the data excludes operations involving discharges for animal destruction and does not include any details of the nature of the incidents.
The latest available data for the year ending 31 March 2025 can be accessed at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-use-of-firearms-statistics-april-2024-to-march-2025
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many incidents relating to deer management were reported by police forces in 2023-24.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not hold any data on the number of incidents related to deer management reported by police forces, or how many required an armed police response.
While the Home Office does collect and publish annual statistics on the number of police firearms operations, the data excludes operations involving discharges for animal destruction and does not include any details of the nature of the incidents.
The latest available data for the year ending 31 March 2025 can be accessed at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-use-of-firearms-statistics-april-2024-to-march-2025
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle rural crime in South Northamptonshire.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Under our Safer Streets Mission reforms, rural communities will be better safeguarded, with tougher measures to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, increased neighbourhood policing and stronger measures to prevent theft of farm equipment and fly-tipping.
This financial year we will be providing the first Home Office funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit (NRCU) as well as continuing funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU). The funding boost of over £800,000 in total will help the units tackle those crimes that predominantly affect our rural communities.
This will allow these specialist units to continue their work in tackling rural and wildlife crime which can pose unique challenges for policing given the scale and isolation of rural areas.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council Wildlife and Rural Crime Strategy 2022-2025 provides a framework through which policing, and its partners can work together to tackle the most prevalent threats and emerging issues which predominantly affect rural communities NPCC-Wildlife-Rural-Crime-Strategy-2022-2025.pdf (nwcu.police.uk) We are working closely with the NPCC to deliver the next iteration of their strategy, to ensure the government’s Safer Streets Mission benefits every community no matter where they live, including rural communities.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department plans to take to help improve police response times in rural areas.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Chief Constables are responsible for determining the allocation of resources for operational policing and managing their response times, in line with the priorities set out by their Police and Crime Commissioner.
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services regularly inspects forces’ response to the public as a part of its Police Efficiency, Effectiveness and Legitimacy inspections. As a part of this, it examines whether forces provide an appropriate response to incidents.
The Government also recognises that there can be challenges in responding to rural crime more broadly. That is why we are working closely with the National police Chiefs’ Council to deliver its updated Rural and Wildlife Crime strategy. The strategy will set out operational and organisational policing priorities in respect of tackling crimes that predominantly affect rural communities.
We have been clear that the Home Office will play a greater role in setting performance measures and monitoring and driving system performance in the police. Further details on the new performance framework will be set out in due course
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a statutory cap on levels of migration.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This Government recognises and values the contribution that legal migration makes to the UK.
This Government is clear that net migration must come down from the record highs that were reached under the previous government.
Under the previous Government, between 2019 and 2024, net migration almost quadrupled, heavily driven by a big increase in overseas recruitment.
This Government is clear that net migration must come down and whilst we will always benefit from international skills and talent, immigration must not be used as an alternative to tackling skills shortages and labour market failures here in the UK.
The work to restore order to our immigration system is already underway, and we will be setting out our approach in detail in the upcoming Immigration White Paper.