Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of police-support staffing levels in England and Wales; and whether her Department has been made aware of instances where police officers have been required to carry out the duties of support staff.

The government expects that police officers will be used in tackling crime and protecting the public.

It is for Chief Constables and directly elected PCCs, and Mayors with PCC functions to make operational decisions based on their local knowledge and experience, including how best to allocate resources.