Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to paragraph 59.g of the Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan, updated on 17 May, what discussions she has had with stakeholders on the introduction of the new offence of cuckooing .

The Government fully recognises the serious impact that persistent Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) can have on both individuals and the wider community. The ASB Action Plan, published on 27 March, commits to tackling ASB across five key themes: 1) stronger punishment, 2) making communities safer, 3) building local pride, 4) prevention and early intervention, 5) improving data, reporting and accountability for action.

As part of the plan, which is backed by £160m of funding, we are committed to tackling the exploitation and degrading behaviour that is associated with cuckooing. The targeted stakeholder engagement exercise commenced in the Spring of 2023 and is ongoing. We are engaging on the potential merits and scope of a new offence with a variety of key stakeholders such as the police, CJS partners, local authorities, other Government departments, specialists in the field and the Devolved Governments.

There is no centrally held data on the number of cuckooed properties. The National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) regularly coordinates weeks of intensive action against county lines gangs, in which all police forces take part. The most recent week of intensification, which took place between 27th February to 5th March 2023, saw 887 cuckooed properties visited.