Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle organised acquisitive rural crime.

We are improving the protections for rural communities, with tougher measures to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, strengthened neighbourhood policing and stronger measures to prevent farm theft. This financial year the Home Office will be providing the first Government funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit (£365,000) as well as continuing funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit (£450,000).

The National Wildlife Crime Unit has a far-reaching impact, assisting in detecting high-profile and high-value crimes including serious organised crime. This includes disrupting organised crime groups. Funding the National Rural Crime Unit enables it to continue to increase collaboration across police forces, harnessing the latest technology and data to target the serious organised crime groups involved in crimes like equipment theft from farms.

Through the Crime and Policing Bill we are introducing a new power for the police to enter and search premises to which items have been electronically tracked by GPS or other means, where the items are reasonably believed to have been stolen and are on those premises, and where it has not been reasonably practicable to obtain a warrant from a court.

Additionally, we are committed to the implementation of the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act and fully support its intentions to tackle the theft and re-sale of All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), quad bikes and GPS systems.

There can be challenges in responding to rural crime. That is why we have worked closely with the NPCC to deliver their updated Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy for 2025-2028. The strategy sets out operational and organisational policing priorities in respect of tackling crimes that predominantly affect rural communities.