Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many requests his Department has made to the National Police Chiefs Council for data outside the normal reporting rules since July 2019.

The Home Secretary has statutory powers under the Police Act 1996 to request data directly from Chief Constables of police forces in England and Wales.

In exercising those powers, the Home Office consults with the National Police Chiefs Council to ensure it is feasible for police forces to supply such data and would not add a disproportionate burden on forces to do so.

Since July 2019, data already collected by forces as part of their own internal management information has been requested in relation to several of the Government’s priorities including tackling serious violence and recruiting 20,000 additional police officers.