Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Katie Lam

Monday 25th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call the acting shadow Minister.

[Katie Lam (Weald of Kent) (Con)]

More than 13,000 non-crime hate incidents have been logged by UK police forces in the past year, including against schoolchildren as young as nine for classroom insults. This is estimated to have taken 60,000 hours of police time and undermines public trust and confidence in policing. The last Government tightened the guidance, and it has been widely reported this morning that the Home Secretary will update it again. How will the right hon. Lady know if her changes have worked? What is the metric, and is there a target? If the changes do not work, will she restrict investigations to take place only when there is an imminent risk of an actual crime?