Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she is taking steps to reduce the number of single crewed police officers on duty.

This Government is committed to supporting and protecting our police and we take their welfare very seriously. Every Chief Constable has a responsibility to manage and support their workforce effectively, ensuring the welfare of all officers and staff. Decisions on the deployment of frontline police officers and their duties are for Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners and this includes decisions on crewing.

This Government is ensuring the police have the necessary resources, tools and powers they need to keep themselves and the public safe. This includes the recruitment of an additional 20,000 additional police officers to bolster capacity and up to £15.8 billion of funding in 2021/22, an increase of up to £600 million compared to 2020/21. The overall police funding available to PCCs has increased by up to £668 million (5.1% in cash terms) in 2021/22.