Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Metropolitan Police on their community engagement strategy.

The Home Secretary and I hold regular meetings with representatives of the Metropolitan Police Service, covering a wide range of subject areas important to the public including stamping out violence against women and girls, tackling serious crime and promoting a diverse workforce.

The Government will always encourage forces to continue to respond to their local communities needs. This is because the police's ability to fulfil their duties is dependent on their capacity to secure and maintain public trust and support for their actions, as part of the model of policing by consent.