Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to reduce cyber-crime in (a) West Yorkshire and (b) England.

Cyber security, including cyber crime, is a top priority threat to national security. This is why the National Cyber Security Strategy 2016-2021 is supported by £1.9billion of transformational investment.

Through the National Cyber Security Programme, we have invested over £250 million since 2010 to bolster the law enforcement response to the cyber crime threat. We have boosted the capabilities of the National Crime Agency’s National Cyber Crime Unit by increasing their ability to investigate the most serious cyber crime. And we are continuing to invest in the cyber teams in each of the Regional Organised Crime Units across England and Wales, to bolster the regional response.

In 2019 the Government launched specialist Cyber Crime Units in every local police force, in order to improve the local response, provide an effective investigative response and an improved victim experience. The Government also provides funding for the Cyber PROTECT police officers and staff in all policing regions and local forces, and Cyber Resilience Centres, which are now live in each region, providing cyber security advice and support to micro and small SMEs.