Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of policing (a) guidelines and (b) resources for the investigation of minor alleged crimes.

It is for Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners, as operational leaders and elected local representatives, to decide how best to deploy resources to manage and respond to individual crimes and local crime priorities, and how best to work with communities to prevent crimes from happening in the first place.
The Government understands that police demand is changing and becoming increasingly complex. That is why, after speaking to all forces in England and Wales, we have provided a comprehensive funding settlement which is increasing total investment in the police system by over £460m in 2018/19. This includes £280m in force funding from increases in Council Tax precept income. The vast majority of PCCs are using this precept flexibility and most have set out plans to protect or improve frontline policing.