Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help reduce the number of attacks on gamekeepers.

Rural communities – which includes gamekeepers – can be assured that visible, neighbourhood policing is returning to our communities. This Government is clear that when you report a crime, it should be properly investigated with victims having faith that justice will be delivered, and criminals will be punished – no matter where you live.

A physical assault or threat to someone’s safety should always be reported and responded to appropriately - in the case of common assault, if convicted, it carries a six months’ imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.

The Government recognises that there can be challenges in responding to rural crime. That is why we are working closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council to deliver the next iteration of their Rural and Wildlife Crime strategy. The strategy will set out operational and organisational policing priorities in respect of tackling crimes that predominantly affect rural communities.