Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her oral contribution of 18 September 2023, Official Report, column 1097, whether she plans to monitor the extent to which individual police forces follow up on (a) CCTV footage, (b) online evidence of resale and (c) other actionable evidence.

On 28 August, the Home Secretary announced that police forces across England and Wales have committed to pursuing all leads where there is a reasonable chance it could result in catching a perpetrator and solving a crime. This commitment applies to all crime types, meaning all material and potential evidence should be considered when there is information to suggest the offender could be identified. New guidelines and updated authorised professional practice on investigation from the College of Policing provide clear direction on applying a consistent standard of service to have the greatest chance of securing a positive outcome for a victim.

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services will use their existing inspections framework to assess how thoroughly forces are investigating crime, including whether they follow all reasonable lines of enquiry. We will closely monitor their findings and engage closely with the NPCC on implementation of the new College of Policing guidelines and updated authorised professional practice.

Operational decisions are a matter for individual police chiefs and their force, and each incident is looked at on a case-by-case basis on the evidence available and in proportion to the crime. As the locally elected representative for policing, PCCs are responsible for holding their Chief to account for their performance.