Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Home Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Lee Dillon Excerpts
Monday 13th July 2026

(3 weeks, 5 days ago)

Commons Chamber
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Shabana Mahmood Portrait Shabana Mahmood
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I am not aware of the hon. Gentleman’s correspondence, but I will chase that up when I get back to the Department later this afternoon and ensure he receives an appropriate response. He will of course know that there is a live investigation at the moment, so I cannot comment on any of its details, and certainly not on the operational details, but I will make sure he is updated in an appropriate way, given that he is the local Member of Parliament.

Lee Dillon Portrait Mr Lee Dillon (Newbury) (LD)
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High streets are already under pressure, as I have seen with our local fight to keep the Thatcham and Hungerford post offices open, and retail crime and antisocial behaviour make that pressure worse. Can the Secretary of State expand on how the high streets organised crime unit remit will extend to smaller market towns such as Hungerford, Thatcham and Newbury and villages such as Lambourn?

Shabana Mahmood Portrait Shabana Mahmood
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Let me assure the hon. Gentleman that this is a national crackdown led by the National Crime Agency. I have provided funding for all forces, regardless of the type of area they represent, and they can bid for the enhanced activity funding in their areas. I would encourage him to talk to his force about what it is doing to make sure that it gets its share of that money.