Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that policing strategy is up to date and effective at tackling crime that takes place digitally.

Tackling digital crime is a cross government agenda in which the Home Office and its agencies has a key role to play.

The National Digital Policing Strategy 2020-2030: Digital, Data and Technology Strategy was partly developed in response to the pace of digital change and was launched at the Police ICT Summit 2020. The strategy was developed by the Police ICT Company and the National Police Technology Council in collaboration with the Home Office.

Under this strategy, the Home Office is committed to ensuring new capabilities are available to the police to tackle crime in an evolving digital landscape, to cooperate more efficiently and to support their contributions to the effectiveness and efficiency of the CJS. We are clear that technology will make it easier for the public to report a crime and enable the police to make better use of digital evidence as part of their investigations.

The Strategic Change and Investment Board (SCIB), is chaired by the Policing Minister and forms part of the sub-governance of the National Policing Board (NPB). The SCIB oversees investment across the policing system to meet Government priorities. This includes investment in digital technology to drive convergence of police forces towards delivery of the policing digital strategy.