Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to tackle the costs associated with levels of crime.

According to the most recently published estimates of the overall costs of crime, the total costs of crime in England and Wales in 2015/16, is estimated to be approximately £50 billion for crimes against individuals and £9 billion for crimes against businesses.

The full report can be accessed at The economic and social costs of crime (publishing.service.gov.uk)

This Government remains focused on reducing levels of crime, which is why we are recruiting an additional 20,000 police officers, investing £40 million in our work on county lines, £130.5 million on serious violence, and £70 million on neighbourhood crime. Specifically, these investments intend to target and bring to justice county lines gangs, fund enforcement activity in police force areas that see the highest levels of violent crime; as well as to improve public safety in communities who are disproportionately affected by acquisitive crime.

Through our targeted activity, we will continue to work with partners to make real progress in reducing levels of crime, and in turn the associated costs it brings.