Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle theft of tradespeoples' tools from vehicles.

The Government is tackling acquisitive crime as a priority and is committed to reducing the ability for criminals to profit. We understand the negative impact theft has on victims who rely on the tools of their trade to earn a living. We have established an expert Stolen Goods Working Group with the police and academia to tackle the markets for stolen goods. The group is examining ways to make property more identifiable and traceable, and are working with partners to increase enforcement.

We also continue to work closely with the police and motor manufacturers through the National Vehicle Crime Working Group, established by the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for vehicle crime. This includes consideration of how we can reduce thefts of items from vehicles. Through this Working Group, a network of vehicle crime specialists has been established across all police forces in England and Wales to share expertise.

To ensure the police have the resources they need to tackle crime, the Government is recruiting an additional 20,000 police officers by March 2023. The police have now recruited an additional 11,053 officers towards the target.