Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Home Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Sarah Dyke Excerpts
Monday 2nd June 2025

(5 days, 12 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
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Yvette Cooper Portrait Yvette Cooper
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The hon. Member is right to raise this issue. Noise and speed are used deliberately in order to harass people and intimidate local residents. It is disgraceful antisocial behaviour, and it is really unfair on local families. That is why we need to give the police stronger powers to clamp down on it.

Sarah Dyke Portrait Sarah Dyke (Glastonbury and Somerton) (LD)
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Off-road bikes are often used illegally across private farmland, causing damage to crops, spooking animals and leaving farmers feeling scared and vulnerable. While the Crime and Policing Bill includes a provision to make it easier for the police to seize vehicles associated with antisocial behaviour, Avon and Somerset police has little or no resource to police rural crimes properly. What steps is the Secretary of State taking to stop the illegal use of off-road bikes on farmland?

Yvette Cooper Portrait Yvette Cooper
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As well as strengthening the law, we are working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council on a stronger rural crime strategy. I can tell the hon. Lady that Avon and Somerset police will be getting 70 additional neighbourhood police officers across the area this year as a result of the neighbourhood policing guarantee.