Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to increase support for police working on wildlife crime.

Wildlife crime can have devastating consequences for our natural environments and countryside communities. This Government is committed to reducing crime in rural areas and anyone exploiting or deliberately harming British wildlife should face the full force of the law.

Along with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Home Office directly funds the National Wildlife Crime Unit to help tackle these crimes.

The National Wildlife Crime Unit provides intelligence, analysis and investigative assistance to forces and other law enforcement agencies across the UK to support them in investigating wildlife crime including providing training to police officers.

The Unit has a far-reaching impact, assisting in detecting high-profile and high-value crimes globally including serious organised crime and money laundering. This includes disrupting a number of organised crime groups.

Wildlife crimes that are non-notifiable can still be investigated by Police as Chief Constables have operational independence.