Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support she is providing to (a) Lancashire Police and (b) other forces to tackle tool theft.

We recognise the deeply damaging impact theft has on victims who rely on the tools of their trade to earn a living. We are determined to prevent those thefts from happening in the first place and, where they do occur, ensure those perpetrating them receive a criminal justice response. To do that, we need more police in our communities, tackling the local crimes that impact on people’s livelihoods. That is why this Government has increased funding for the policing system in England and Wales by up to £1.2 billion in 25/26 (compared with the 24/25 settlement), including an additional £200 million to kickstart delivery of our commitment to 13,000 neighbourhood policing roles. We will ensure that everyone has a named, contactable officer, responsive to local problems, including tool theft.

Alongside this, the Home Office funds, and works with, the police-led National Business Crime Centre (NBCC) and senior policing leads to prevent the theft of tools and tackle the re-sale of stolen equipment. The NBCC shares information about theft with police forces and businesses and provides advice about preventing crime. The NBCC’s tool theft prevention guide can be found here: tool-theft-crime-prevention.pdf

The Home Office and National Vehicle Crime Working Group have additionally secured a significant new commitment which will improve the security of vans, which may be targeted in relation to tool theft. Thatcham Research (an independent, not for profit, automotive risk intelligence organisation) has agreed expand their New Vehicle Security Assessment (NVSA) to increase van security. From February 2027, vans will have locks and alarms on the back doors (previously NVSA only covers the cab area of vans) and a motion sensor on the load area of the van. This is supported by crime prevention advice for tradespeople developed by the Police Crime Prevention Initiatives: Secured by Design - Vans & Tool Theft.