Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what training is provided to frontline police officers to improve the (a) identification and (b) handling of spiking cases.

The Government have introduced through the Crime and Policing Bill a new criminal offence for spiking, to help police better respond to this crime.

The Home Office has funded specialist spiking training for staff in the hospitality industry to ensure they have the skills to better detect spiking incidents, support victims who have been spiked and support law enforcement with evidence collection.

The Home Office is currently working with the police-led National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls and Public Protection (NCVPP) on the development of police guidance across a range of VAWG crimes, including spiking.