Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many stolen quadbikes have been recovered due to forensic marking.

The Home Office does not hold figures on the number of quadbikes recovered due to forensic marking.

This Government is committed to driving down rural crime. We are working closely with the police, industry and others to ensure we are collectively doing everything we can to drive down acquisitive crime, including the theft of quadbikes, agricultural machinery and vehicles.

The Government supported the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023, which gained Royal Assent on 20 July. The Act will require immobilisers and forensic marking to be fitted as standard to new agricultural equipment such as All-Terrain Vehicles and quad bikes, to help prevent theft of this equipment and identify the owners of stolen equipment when it is recovered.

As part of the Government’s Unleashing Rural Opportunity commitments, the Home Office is providing £200,000 funding to help set up the National Rural Crime Unit (NRCU). This will enable the Unit to support forces nationally in their response to rural crimes, such as the theft of farming or construction machinery. Since January 2023, the NRCU has recovered over £5.5m worth of stolen agricultural and construction equipment and vehicles.