Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans the Government has to increase the resources available to the police to investigate online communications offences.

We are recruiting an additional 20,000 police officers by March 2023, the biggest recruitment drive in decades. As at 31 March 2022, 13,576 additional officers have been recruited as part of the Police Uplift Programme in England and Wales, 68% of the 20,000 officer target.

On the 2^nd February 2022, the Government published a total police funding settlement of up to £16.9 billion in 2022/23, an increase of up to £1.1 billion when compared to 2021/22. This includes funding for national priorities, such as tackling serious violence and county lines.

This significant investment shows the Government is committed to supporting the entire policing sector.

It is for Chief Constables and directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), and Mayors with PCC functions to make operational decisions including how to allocate resource based on their local knowledge and experience.