Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to break the link between commercial squatting and metal theft.

The Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 provides a strong legislative basis for tackling all forms of metal theft by making it more difficult for criminals to dispose of stolen metal through scrap metal yards.

The police can take action against commercial squatters who commit other crimes, including thefts of metal or other commodities, when entering or staying in a property. Enforcement is a matter for chief constables and Police and Crime Commissioners who must decide how best to deploy their resources to respond to the crimes affecting their local communities.