Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has in place to safeguard monuments in Whitehall and Parliament Square from vandalism and damage during protests and demonstrations.

The police have comprehensive powers to deal with individuals who vandalise or damage our cultural monuments. It is a criminal offence for a person, without lawful excuse, to intentionally or recklessly destroy or damage any property belonging to another. The police have a duty to protect the public by detecting and preventing crime, including offences of this nature.

The use of these powers is an operational matter for the Metropolitan Police Service. They have deployed significant resources to recent protests and we have seen them take action to prevent vandalism as part of their response to protests in this area. Ministers are unable to intervene in operational decisions of this nature, as to do so would undermine their operational independence.