Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has considered the potential merits of creating a separate offence category for freight and cargo theft; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of such a measure on (a) prosecution rates, (b) sentencing outcomes and (c) crime data collection.

This Government is highly aware of the rising frequency of freight crime and the significant and damaging impact it can have on businesses and drivers. We are determined to crack down on it.

The incidence of freight crime, where criminals are ripping the sides of lorries and taking the goods inside, is frightening for those dedicated HGV drivers across the UK, and the perception this crime is low risk and high reward is unacceptable.

Working in collaboration with policing, the Home Office have agreed to the creation of a freight crime flag which will be attached to any applicable crime. The data will be collected as part of the Annual Data Return.

The flag is currently being piloted in a small number of forces. Upon the data returns and assessment of the data, the intention is to roll it out across all forces.

We also work with Opal, the Police’s National Intelligence Unit focused on Serious Organised Acquisitive Crime, which has multiple thematic desks, including a vehicle crime intelligence desk which covers freight crime.

We know that reducing freight crime cannot be done by legislation alone, and there is legislation in place that can be used including the Theft Act 1968 where offenders can receive up to 7 years imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.

The Department for Transport hosts the Freight Council. This group regularly discusses crime against freight companies, and the Home Office works closely with DfT to engage with the sector on this issue through the Freight Council.