Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to address the drivers of crime.

Crime is down by more than a fifth under this Government, according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales.

We are addressing the key drivers of crime by reshaping our approach to alcohol; tackling illicit and harmful drug use; taking action in a number of areas to stop young people getting involved in crime; and closing off opportunities to commit crimes, for example, by legislating on metal theft.

We have also established the Crime and Policing Knowledge Hub to improve our understanding of crime trends and the drivers of crime.

At the end of the month the Home Office will also host the first International Crime and Policing Conference to bring together leading academics and law enforcement professionals to further understand the drivers of crime and our response.