Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support (a) police forces and (b) local partnerships to protect (i) hospitality and (ii) high street businesses during peak seasons.

This Government wants town centres to be vibrant, welcoming places where businesses thrive and people feel safe and come to shop, socialise and live.

Police and Crime Commissioners are leading on targeted action to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour that blights our town centres and high streets as part of the Safer Streets Summer Initiative. The work is being delivered in partnership with councils, schools, health services, business, transport providers and community groups all playing a role over the summer. Under the initiative, partners have used targeted enforcement, visible policing and place-based interventions to reduce retail and street crime and anti-social behaviour in over 500 town centres and high streets across England and Wales.

Devon and Cornwall Police have listed 30 locations as part of the Safer Streets Summer Initiative and have delivered interventions to tackle retail crime including Safer Business Action Days, targeted training for police and shop staff, and wider adoption of ShopWatch and DISC radio communication systems.

In addition, the Home Office is also providing £66.3 million funding in 2025-26 to all 43 forces in England and Wales to deliver high visibility patrols in the areas worst affected by knife crime, serious violence and anti-social behaviour. As part of this funding, Devon and Cornwall Police are in receipt of £1m.