Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of appointing a Wildlife and Rural Crime Coordinator for England.

The Government is committed to driving down both wildlife and rural crime. To help deliver this, we provide funding for the police’s National Wildlife Crime Unit and fully support the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Rural Affairs Strategy, which supports safer rural communities and provides a better rural focus in policing. Delivery of the Strategy is supported by the Government’s recruitment of an additional 20,000 police officers over the next three years to ensure that the public are protected against crime, including rural crime.

It is the responsibility of Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables, who understand the priorities of their communities, to ensure that resources, including these new officers, are deployed accordingly.