Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 09 Feb 2026
Leagrave Station: Step-free Access
"I must confess that this is my first Adjournment debate, and I am gutted that the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) is not here to intervene. Is it an Adjournment debate if he has not done so? Probably not.
I wish I could carry on in that jovial tone, …..."Sarah Owen - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 09 Feb 2026
Leagrave Station: Step-free Access
"I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention. I would want to look at the detail of any amendment along those lines, but yes, in principle we absolutely need a strategy. I think many people would understand that this is not something where we click our fingers and it happens …..."Sarah Owen - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 09 Feb 2026
Leagrave Station: Step-free Access
"If anybody can get from the north of Leagrave to Luton Airport Parkway in 20 minutes, they must be travelling in some vehicle that I have never travelled in, because it will take at least half an hour to 45 minutes in bad traffic. I know that my hon. Friend …..."Sarah Owen - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 09 Feb 2026
Leagrave Station: Step-free Access
"I thank the Minister for noting how important Luton airport is to our wider community. Would he be open to facilitating greater collaboration between the Department, Luton airport and our railways to ensure that we see greater surface travel through public transport and our railways?..."Sarah Owen - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 09 Feb 2026
Leagrave Station: Step-free Access
"A rare occasion! I thank the hon. Gentleman for that intervention and yes, he is right, that is far too long. Not only will I be grey, but I will be dead, so progress is far too slow—[Interruption.]..."Sarah Owen - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 09 Feb 2026
Leagrave Station: Step-free Access
"rose—..."Sarah Owen - View Speech
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Written Question
Thursday 5th February 2026
Asked by:
Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question
to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that Bedfordshire Police have sufficient resource to hit officer number targets.
Answered by Sarah Jones
- Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government’s Safer Streets Mission sets a clear expectation for policing to deliver safer communities and improved public confidence. An effective, well-supported police service is central to achieving this.
For 2025/26, £376.8 million has been made available to forces to support achievement of officer number targets. This funding was distributed as follows:
- £270.1 million in ringfenced funding has been made available, which PCCs have been able to access, as in previous years, by demonstrating that they have met their officer headcount targets.
- £106.7 million has been paid to forces who received additional recruitment allocations in 2023/24 and 2024/25. This funding has been provided as an additional recruitment top up grant. It is unconditional, and the funding has been distributed according to how much additional recruitment forces were allocated.
For 2025/26, Bedfordshire Police have been allocated a total of up to £3,155,659 through the officer maintenance ringfenced grant, and £1,580,578 through the top-up grant, to maintain a total headcount of 1,466 officers.
Published statistics show the force achieved this target at the mid-year point. As at 30 September 2025, Bedfordshire Police had a total of 1,467 police officers (headcount).
For 2025/26, a total of up to £1,803,234 was also made available to Bedfordshire Police through the neighbourhood policing grant to grow by 38 FTE Neighbourhood Policing officers (30 FTE police officers and 8 FTE PCSOs).
As at 30 September, Bedfordshire Police had grown their neighbourhood policing function by 13 FTE.
Written Question
Thursday 5th February 2026
Asked by:
Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question
to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she will integrate Special Grant funding into the core settlement provided to Bedfordshire Police.
Answered by Sarah Jones
- Minister of State (Home Office)
The 2026-27 Final Police Funding Settlement confirmed £49.6m for Special Grant in the coming financial year. Funding for Bedfordshire Police will be up to £175.8m, an increase of up to £7.5m from 2025-26. Special Grant awards will be confirmed in due course.
The government has set out an ambitious programme of police reform in the Police Reform White Paper, and has committed to reform of the police funding model.
Written Question
Thursday 5th February 2026
Asked by:
Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question
to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she will provide an update on the status of Special Grant funding to Bedfordshire Police.
Answered by Sarah Jones
- Minister of State (Home Office)
The 2026-27 Final Police Funding Settlement confirmed £49.6m for Special Grant in the coming financial year. Funding for Bedfordshire Police will be up to £175.8m, an increase of up to £7.5m from 2025-26. Special Grant awards will be confirmed in due course.
The government has set out an ambitious programme of police reform in the Police Reform White Paper, and has committed to reform of the police funding model.
Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 04 Feb 2026
Lord Mandelson
"On the point about Peter Mandelson letting people down, let me say that the people let down the most are the victims of Jeffrey Epstein. Does the Minister agree that we would not be discussing this disgraceful situation if it had not been that people listened not to the women—the …..."Sarah Owen - View Speech
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