Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to support police forces to prevent lead theft in (a) Lincolnshire and (b) other rural areas.

Theft, including the theft of lead, is a deeply damaging crime and this Government recognises the distress and disruption it can cause, not only to businesses, but also to local communities and critical infrastructure.

The Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 was introduced to reduce metal theft by strengthening regulation of the scrap metal industry. The Act requires scrap metal dealers to obtain a licence from their local authority and to verify the identity of those selling the scrap metal; it also bans dealers from paying cash.

Following the introduction of the Act, there was an overall downward trend in metal-related theft offences. The latest figures for the year ending March 2024 are 64% lower than in the previous year.

Furthermore, the sentencing guidelines on theft have been amended to highlight that where theft is of heritage assets or causes disruption to infrastructure, this should be taken into account when assessing the harm.

Historic England is leading on a number of initiatives to tackle heritage crime, particularly theft from church roofs and other buildings primarily in rural locations, and the Home Office and National Police Chiefs’ Council are continuing to work closely with them.