Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to increase (a) the number of specialist teams to deal with vehicle crime and (b) the funding available to track stolen cars across borders.

This Government is determined to drive down vehicle crime and we are working with the automotive industry and law enforcement to ensure our response is as strong as it can be – including recruiting thousands of additional neighbourhood police officers, PCSOs and Special Constables to provide a visible and effective response to car crime in local communities.

We continue to work closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) lead for vehicle crime, through the National Vehicle Crime Working Group, to take forward a programme of work, focusing on prevention and deterrence of theft of and from vehicles. Through the Working Group, a network of vehicle crime specialists has been established, involving every police force in England and Wales, to ensure forces can share information about emerging trends in vehicle crime and better tackle regional issues.

There are also a number of specialist teams that support work to tackle vehicle crime, including Opal, the police’s national intelligence unit for serious acquisitive crime, and the National Vehicle Intelligence Service (NaVCIS), a national policing unit funded by industry, including finance and leasing companies, insurers and hauliers, to provide dedicated specialist intelligence and enforcement.

Last autumn, driven by the NPCC lead for vehicle crime and supported by the Home Office, the National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership was established, bringing together the police, Home Office and manufacturers.

We are also providing £250,000 this financial year to help support enforcement at the ports to prevent stolen vehicles and vehicle parts being shipped abroad, including additional staff and specialist equipment.