Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support local authorities with repeated vandalism impacting the operation of public facilities in Surrey.

Tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB) is a top priority for this Government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission. The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides local authorities and other local agencies with a range of flexible tools and powers that they can use to respond quickly and effectively to ASB, including acts of vandalism and criminal damage.

It is for local areas and individual police forces to decide how best to deploy these powers depending on the specific circumstances of each case, however to support local areas in dealing with challenges, this Government has committed to delivering 13,000 more neighbourhood policing personnel, and following on from the Safer Streets Summer Initiative, the Home Secretary announced a “Winter of Action” in which police forces across England and Wales, including Surrey, will again partner with local authorities, businesses, and other agencies to tackle anti-social behaviour and other local issues that matter most to their communities.