Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to bring the offence of cuckooing under the Crime and Policing Act 2026 into force; what steps they are taking to ensure police officers receive necessary training on the new offence beyond the publication of statutory guidance; and what plans they have to collect and publish data on the offence including reported crimes, charges, prosecutions and convictions.

The new offence of ‘cuckooing’ (controlling another’s home for criminal purposes) introduced in the Crime and Policing Act will ensure that the police take strong action against those who prey on vulnerable people and help to identify and protect victims from this appalling crime.

In addition, the Crime and Policing Act 2026 also includes provision for the Secretary of State to issue statutory guidance to relevant law enforcement officers about the exercise of their functions in connection with the prevention, detection and investigation of the cuckooing offence.

The Home Office is currently developing this statutory guidance for police, alongside non-statutory guidance for all professionals, in consultation with police and partners to support consistent and effective response to cuckooing. We are working with policing partners, including the National County Lines Coordination Centre, to support implementation of the cuckooing offence.

We will commence the new cuckooing offence as soon as possible alongside publication of the guidance.

The Government recognises the importance of understanding how the new offence is used in practice. Information on crimes recorded by the police, charges, prosecutions and convictions is routinely collected through established criminal justice data systems and will be monitored.