Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with (a) banks, (b) solicitors and (c) other providers on the availability of safety deposit boxes across the UK; and if she will make a statement.

The Home Office does not have an estimate of the numbers of safety deposit boxes available across the United Kingdom, and we have not had any discussions on this matter.

However, the Crime Prevention Panel, which is chaired by myself and supported by Home Office officials, has been looking at the safe storage of gold jewellery and other valuable items, both in people’s homes and in external
storage facilities.