Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to tackle car theft.

We are working with the police and the automotive industry, to ensure the strongest response possible to vehicle crime.

The National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership and the police-led National Vehicle Crime Working Group are focusing on prevention and deterrence of theft of, and from, vehicles. This includes training police officers on the methods used to steal vehicles, encouraging vehicle owners to secure their vehicles, and working with industry to address vulnerabilities in vehicles.

In the Crime and Policing Bill we are banning the electronic devices used to steal vehicles, empowering the police and courts to target the criminals using, manufacturing, importing and supplying them.

We are providing £485,000 this financial year to the National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership to tackle the export of stolen vehicles.