Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the levels of catalytic converter theft in the last twelve months; and what steps her Department is taking to reduce levels of such theft.

The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) collects data on incidents regarding theft from a vehicle, including details of the items stolen, such as car parts. From April 2019 to March 2020, an estimate of recorded household incidents from the CSEW shows that in 1.6% of incidents of theft from vehicles, a catalytic converter was stolen. The figures are published here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/adhocs/12496catalyticconvertersstoleninincidentsoftheftfromvehiclesyearendingmarch2015toyearendingmarch2020crimesurveyforenglandandwales

The Government recognises the negative impact this crime has on industry and the public, causing distress and disruption to victims. We continue to work to understand what more can be done to tackle the theft of catalytic converters. In May I held a meeting with representatives of the motor industry to discuss vehicle crime, including the theft of catalytic converters. In November, the National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Vehicle Crime hosted a problem-solving workshop on catalytic converter theft to discuss what action can be taken to reduce these thefts.