Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to increase police visibility and trust in local communities.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Government is delivering on the people’s priorities by recruiting an additional 20,000 police officers and putting violent criminals behind bars for longer.
To the end of September this year, Police forces in England and Wales have recruited an additional 11,053 police officers as part of the police uplift programme, 55% of the 20,000-recruitment target by 2023.
Whilst decisions about the deployment of officers are a matter for Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables, these decisions are expected to be informed by local need.
The Beating Crime Plan published on 27 July laid out the Government’s plan for tackling crime and its commitment to reconnect the police with the public. It can be found at:
The police's ability to fulfil their duties is dependent on their capacity to secure and maintain public trust and support for their actions, as part of the model of policing by consent. That is why the Government will also be looking carefully at strengthening the system of local community scrutiny and the value and use of body-worn video.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance she has provided to local authorities on effectively tackling (a) anti-social behaviour and (b) other low-level crimes.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Government is committed to tackling and preventing anti-social behaviour (ASB) and crime. We know the serious impact that anti-social and criminal behaviour has on both individuals and communities.
We have provided the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of tools and powers that they can use to respond quickly and effectively to all forms of ASB through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. These powers are deliberately local in nature, and it is for local agencies to determine whether their use is appropriate in the specific circumstances.
In January of this year we updated the statutory guidance to support local agencies to make effective use of these powers and take the multi-agency approach that is needed to tackle and prevent anti-social behaviour, in a way that takes account of the needs of the victim and the community. The revised guidance can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/956143/ASB_Statutory_Guidance.pdf
The Beating Crime Plan published on 27 July laid out the Government’s plan for tackling crime and its commitment to working with local agencies and partners to drive down anti-social behaviour using the full range of powers and tools in the 2014 Act. It can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1015382/Crime-plan-v10.pdf
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on tackling (a) speeding and (b) other traffic issues.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Home Office is responsible for policy on enforcement of road traffic legislation and for ensuring the availability of appropriate enforcement powers to the police. We do not issue guidance to local authorities on speeding and other road traffic issues.
However, the Home Office has contributed to guidance published by the Department for Transport in 2007 on the deployment, visibility and signing of speed cameras which can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/use-of-speed-and-red-light-cameras-for-traffic-enforcement-guidance-on-deployment-visibility-and-signing.
The Department for Transport also issues guidance on speed limits to local traffic authorities, to ensure limits are appropriately and consistently set whilst allowing for flexibility to deal with local circumstances.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps are being taken to enhance community trust engagement with local policing teams.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The police's ability to fulfil their duties is dependent on their capacity to secure and maintain public trust and support for their actions, as part of the model of policing by consent.
That is why the Government is committed to giving police the resources they need to support local communities, including the recruitment of an additional 20,000 police officers by March 2023. Despite the challenges of COVID-19, the police have now recruited an extra 9,814 officers, 49% of the 20,000-officer target. (as at 30 June 2021), and have therefore exceeded the first target of 6,000 additional officers by March 2021.
The first round of the Safer Street Fund was launched on 26 January 2020, providing £25m to support areas in England and Wales disproportionately affected by neighbourhood and acquisitive crimes, such as burglary and theft. This money has been invested in well evidenced crime prevention measures, including improved street lighting and home security. A second one-year, £20m round of the Safer Streets Fund was launched on the 28 January 2021, to support even more local areas disproportionately affected by neighbourhood crimes. 50 successful projects across England and Wales were announced on 3 June.
On 15 March 2021, an additional £25m was announced to run a further round of the Safer Streets Fund, bringing total investment into the Safer Streets Fund to £45m over the 2021/22 financial year. For round three of the Fund, there is a shift of focus to championing creative and innovative methods to improve public safety in local areas, with a particular focus on women and girls’ safety and feelings of safety, as well as funding more traditional crime prevention interventions such as improved streetlighting and CCTV.
The Government has put in place measures to ensure that policing is subject to appropriate levels of transparency and accountability. This includes regular inspections by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS), publication of data on the use of police powers and strengthening the police complaints and discipline systems.
The Government will also be looking carefully at strengthening the system of local community scrutiny and the value and use of body-worn video.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to protect consumers from scams, fraud, and rogue trading on the doorsteps of private homes.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Fraudsters are sophisticated and will exploit any vulnerabilities they can, especially as more of us find ourselves at home and online.
The Government recognises the serious risks presented by scams and fraud and the huge financial and emotional impact they can have on victims. We are working collaboratively with law enforcement and the private sector to reaffirm messages to consumers setting out how they can protect themselves from fraud, scams, and rogue traders.
We know one of the best ways to deal with these crimes is for consumers to be well-informed on how to protect themselves. This is why we published guidance on how to spot potential frauds and the steps to take to avoid them. This advice can be accessed at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-fraud-and-cyber-crime.
Alongside this, consumers can also keep abreast of scam and fraud trends through alerts provided by Action Fraud, the national reporting service for fraud and cybercrime, via their website:
www.actionfraud.police.uk/news
Further details can be found through the ScamSmart campaign run by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) at:
https://www.fca.org.uk/scamsmart.
We continue to encourage anyone who has been a targeted by fraud to report it. Action Fraud can be contacted by phone on 0300 123 2040 or through their website:
https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/reporting-fraud-and-cyber-crime.
This information is being used by the City of London Police alongside crime reports to identify, disrupt and stop fraudsters. Any contact with rogue traders should also be reported to Trading Standards at
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/get-more-help/report-to-trading-standards/
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to improve community safety.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
This Government is committed to cutting crime and delivering the safer streets that the public deserves.
The Government is also committed to recruiting 20,000 additional police officers by March 2023 and despite the challenges of COVID-19, as at 31 March 2021, 8,771 officers were recruited through the Uplift programme. Deployment of the new officers will be a matter for Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables but their presence should contribute to making streets safer.
The Safer Streets Fund was launched on 26 January 2020, providing £25 million in 2020/21 to support 52 areas across England and Wales persistently and disproportionately affected by neighbourhood and acquisitive crimes, like burglary, robbery and theft. The fund is being used by Police and Crime Commissioners to invest in well evidenced, physical crime prevention measures, such as improved street lighting and CCTV.
On 28 January 2021, we launched a second £20m round of the Safer Streets Fund, for 2021/22. This second round will give funding to Police and Crime Commissioners and Local Authorities to invest in crime prevention, both in commercial and residential areas.
We have also announced we are investing a further £25 million in the Safer Streets Fund for the 2021/22 financial year, building on the £45 million already committed between 2020 and 2022. This additional funding will look to deliver innovative and evidence-based crime prevention measures in public spaces, with a focus on ensuring women and girls feel safe in the public domain.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to improve police presence and trust in local communities.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Government is committed to giving police the resources they need to tackle the scourge of crime, including supporting police forces to recruit an additional 20,000 police officers by March 2023. Despite the challenges of COVID-19, the police have now recruited an extra 8,771 officers, 44% of the 20,000-officer target, and have therefore exceeded the first target of 6,000 additional officers by March 2021. The police workforce is now more representative of the communities it serves than ever before, with the latest data showing the highest proportion of black, Asian, and minority ethnic and female officers since records began.
In 2021-2022, we are providing £425m to spend on the recruitment of 6,000 additional officers by 2022. Of this, PCCs will receive £415m for territorial policing and Regional Organised Crime Units.
The police's ability to fulfil their duties is dependent on their ability to secure and maintain public trust and support for their actions, as part of the model of policing by consent.
That is why the Government have put in place measures to ensure that policing is subject to appropriate levels of transparency and accountability. This includes regular inspections by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS), publication of data on the use of police powers and strengthening the police complaints and discipline systems.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of powers available to local authorities to tackle anti-social behaviour that occurs between private dwellings.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
It is important that local authorities have the powers they need to tackle all local issues quickly and effectively. That is why we introduced a range of flexible tools and powers to tackle anti-social behaviour through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.
The powers in the 2014 Act are deliberately local in nature and it is for local authorities to determine how best to respond to each individual case. The powers support appropriate action to resolve housing-related anti-social behaviour, including through setting restrictions or positive requirements on individuals.
The Government updated statutory guidance in January 2021 to emphasise the importance of focusing on the impact of anti-social behaviour on victims and further to support local authorities to make effective use of these powers.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what funding the Government makes available for locally-led projects that aim to tackle anti-social behaviour and create safer communities.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police and local authorities with flexible tools and powers they can use to respond quickly and effectively to anti-social behaviour. The powers in the 2014 Act are local in nature, and it is for local agencies to determine whether their use is appropriate in the specific circumstances.
It is for Chief Constables and PCCs, as operational leaders and elected local representatives, to decide how best to respond to local crime priorities but to help ensure that the police have the resources they need, we have given them the biggest funding increase in a decade and are recruiting 20,000 additional officers by March 2023, which provides extra resource to protect the public and keep us safe.
Our £25m Safer Streets Fund is also supporting areas that are disproportionately affected by acquisitive crimes, and through effective crime prevention measures, such as improved streetlighting and CCTV, many of the projects are also helping to tackle anti-social behaviour.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to strengthen police powers to tackle unauthorised encampments at the earliest opportunity so that local authorities do not have to fund enforcement and alternative provision projects.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
As we set out in the briefing accompanying the Queen’s Speech in December 2019, it is our firm aim to bring forward legislation this session.
The Home Office launched a public consultation in November 2019 to seek views on how we could strengthen the police’s powers to tackle unauthorised encampments. We will publish a response to that consultation in the usual way.