Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to protect and preserve police officer rest days and prevent cancelled annual leave to prevent burnout amongst officers.

Decisions on the allocation of resources are the responsibility of Chief Constables according to local operational needs. We would expect that impact on officer health and wellbeing is considered when making any such decisions, in accordance with the statutory duties that all employers have to protect the health, safety and welfare of their workforce.

This Government remains firmly committed to supporting the wellbeing of police officers and staff. We have committed to strengthening the Police Covenant through legislation to ensure that officers have access to appropriate support in key areas such as mental health, physical protection, and support for their families.