Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to reduce organised acquisitive crime in the outer London boroughs.

Through the election of Police and Crime Commissioners we have ensured that all communities, including those in outer London boroughs, have a strong voice in determining how police resources are allocated to tackle the crimes that most matter to them. In addition, Regional Organised Crime Units in England and Wales provide capability to investigate serious and organised crime across police force boundaries and play an important leadership role in facilitating information sharing across agencies and departments.

We are committed to providing all police forces in England and Wales with the resources they need. The proposed funding settlement for 2019/20 enables total policing funding to increase by up to £970 million, including Council Tax precept and funding for national priorities such as counter-terrorism. This is sufficient for the police to both manage financial pressures and invest in key areas such as recruiting more detectives.
Indeed, the Mayor of London has proposed to use the full Council Tax precept flexibility in 2019/20, which would see funding for the Metropolitan Police increase by around £172 million, and for that increase to support the recruitment of a further 300 police officers.