Oral Answers to Questions

Damien Moore Excerpts

Monday 23rd March 2020 Commons Chamber

[Priti Patel]

The right hon. Gentleman makes a very important point. We are already working on a range of measures across Government and at pace, and rightly so; obviously, access to public services such as the NHS, and to support systems, is vital. Working across Government means working with the Department for Work and Pensions. He will be familiar with many of the measures that are being put in place and with those that are being looked at for particular groups, in the way that he mentioned.

[Damien Moore (Southport) (Con)]

3. What steps her Department is taking to ensure that custody suites are accessible to police officers.

[The Minister for Crime and Policing (Kit Malthouse)]

My hon. Friend has been a persistent correspondent with the Home Office on this matter, but, as he hopefully knows, the provision of custody suites is an operational decision for chief officers and police and crime commissioners, who best understand the needs of their local communities. The Government are committed to supporting the police in their vital work protecting the public and keeping us safe by recruiting 20,000 officers over the next three years and delivering the biggest funding increase in a decade, to ensure that police officers have the resources they need.

[Damien Moore]

Can my hon. Friend confirm that police forces will continue to arrest suspects throughout the covid-19 outbreak?

[Kit Malthouse]

I can confirm that. My hon. Friend is correct in his supposition that there will be extra burdens on the police, but the Home Secretary and I are in close contact with forces across the country, and we are confident of their ability to continue to manage crime in the way they have been doing.