Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many reports of tool thefts in England have been made in each year since 2015.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not routinely collect data on the items stolen in theft offences which are reported to the police.
The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) provides estimates of the proportion of theft offences reported to the survey where tools were stolen. This will include incidents which were not reported to the police but will exclude incidents which affected commercial premises.
The most recently published data is presented in the table below
Table 1: Number of incidents and proportion where a tool was stolen, in year ending March 2024
Crime Survey for England and Wales, Office for National Statistics
Offence type | Number of incidents | Proportion of incidents where a tool was stolen |
Domestic burglary in a dwelling | 74,000 | 2% |
Domestic burglary in a non-connected building | 53,000 | 25% |
Theft from outside a dwelling | 517,000 | 3% |
Theft from a vehicle | 465,000 | 12% |
Other theft of personal property | 446,000 | 11% |
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many mobile phones were stolen in the most recent year for which data is available; and how many of those were recovered.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) provides estimates of the number of people who were the victim of mobile phone theft. In the most recent year for which data is available (year ending March 2024), an estimated 235,000 people in England and Wales were the victim of mobile phone theft in the previous 12 months. Data for previous years is available as part of the Property crime tables (Table 13) published by the Office for National Statistics, at the link below:
The CSEW cannot provide an estimate of the number of stolen mobile phones which were later recovered.
Asked by: Yuan Yang (Labour - Earley and Woodley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the future viability of the Community Speedwatch Scheme.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Decisions on adopting the Community Speedwatch scheme, and other schemes, are operational matters for individual Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables to take, based on their local policing plans.
They are best placed to understand how to meet the needs of local communities.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of requiring shops to hide knives for sale from public view.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Since 2016 there has been a voluntary agreement between the Home Office and most major high street retailers on the responsible sale of knives. The purpose of the agreement is to set out best practice around the sale of knives, including age verification and display.
Retailers who are signatories are required to ensure knives are displayed and packaged securely as appropriate to minimise risk. This should include retailers taking practical and proportionate steps to restrict accessibility and avoid immediate use, to reduce the possibility of injury, and to prevent theft.
We are clear that knives should be sold responsibly. Through measures in the Crime and Policing Bill, which is currently making its way through Parliament, we are increasing the maximum penalties for selling knives to those under the age of 18 and selling prohibited weapons to 2 years imprisonment.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she last met the Police Federation; and when she next plans to meet the Police Federation.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Home Office Ministers have regular meetings as part of the process of policy development and delivery.
As part of Government transparency information about meetings is published on a quarterly basis on gov.uk
The Police Act 1996 establishes the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) as the representative body for police officers in the federated ranks in England and Wales.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with police forces on trends in reported incidents involving trespassers attempting to enter residential properties.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
It is important that the police have the power to tackle trespassing where there is intent to commit an offence.
On 10th June, the Government announced its intention to repeal the outdated Vagrancy Act 1824.
We have introduced targeted replacement measures in the Crime and Policing Bill to ensure police have the powers they need to keep communities safe, including a criminal offence of trespassing with intent to commit a criminal offence, an offence which was previously provided for under the 1824 Act, and for which the police have told us is useful to retain.
As is currently the case in the 1824 Act, it will be an offence for a person to trespass on any premises, meaning any building, part of a building or enclosed area, with the intention to commit an offence.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her department are taking to increase visible policing on streets.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee ensures that every neighbourhood has named, contactable officers and that communities are now benefitting from more visible patrols, and stronger engagement.
Additionally, as part of the Guarantee, 3,000 additional officers and PCSOs will be deployed to neighbourhood policing teams across England and Wales by March 2026.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what conversations the Department is having with relevant stakeholders in the Hexham constituency regarding steps to reduce farm theft in rural areas.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Rural crime can have devastating consequences for countryside communities and the agricultural sector. Through our Safer Streets Mission, we are protecting rural communities, with tougher measures to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, strengthened neighbourhood policing and stronger measures to prevent farm theft and fly-tipping.
Our engagement with rural areas is through the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) which is why we are working closely with them to deliver the Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy. This joined up approach between government and policing will help ensure we are tackling rural crimes such as the theft of high value farm equipment and livestock.
Rural communities will also benefit from more local visible policing through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, with more officers helping to tackle crimes like anti-social behaviour and county lines which can have a devastating impact on rural life. Under the Guarantee, each community, including rural communities, will have a named, contactable officer to turn to.
The Crime and Policing Bill will introduce a new power for the police to enter and search premises to which items have been electronically tracked by GPS or other means, where the items are reasonably believed to have been stolen and are on those premises, and where it has not been reasonably practicable to obtain a warrant from a court. This will provide a valuable tool for police in tackling stolen equipment and machinery.
We are also committed to implementing the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 and fully support its aims to tackle the theft and resale of ATVs, quad bikes and GPS systems. We will bring the necessary secondary legislation when parliamentary time allows.
This financial year the Home Office has provided the first Government funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit (£365,000) as well as continuing funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit (£450,000). The National Rural Crime Unit assists all police forces, including Northumbria, in tackling rural crime.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what conversations the Department is having with relevant stakeholders in the Hexham constituency regarding steps to reduce rural crime.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Rural crime can have devastating consequences for countryside communities and the agricultural sector. Through our Safer Streets Mission, we are protecting rural communities, with tougher measures to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, strengthened neighbourhood policing and stronger measures to prevent farm theft and fly-tipping.
Our engagement with rural areas is through the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) which is why we are working closely with them to deliver the Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy. This joined up approach between government and policing will help ensure we are tackling rural crimes such as the theft of high value farm equipment and livestock.
Rural communities will also benefit from more local visible policing through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, with more officers helping to tackle crimes like anti-social behaviour and county lines which can have a devastating impact on rural life. Under the Guarantee, each community, including rural communities, will have a named, contactable officer to turn to.
The Crime and Policing Bill will introduce a new power for the police to enter and search premises to which items have been electronically tracked by GPS or other means, where the items are reasonably believed to have been stolen and are on those premises, and where it has not been reasonably practicable to obtain a warrant from a court. This will provide a valuable tool for police in tackling stolen equipment and machinery.
We are also committed to implementing the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 and fully support its aims to tackle the theft and resale of ATVs, quad bikes and GPS systems. We will bring the necessary secondary legislation when parliamentary time allows.
This financial year the Home Office has provided the first Government funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit (£365,000) as well as continuing funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit (£450,000). The National Rural Crime Unit assists all police forces, including Northumbria, in tackling rural crime.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what conversations the Department is having with relevant stakeholders in Northumberland regarding steps to reduce rural crime.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Rural crime can have devastating consequences for countryside communities and the agricultural sector. Through our Safer Streets Mission, we are protecting rural communities, with tougher measures to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, strengthened neighbourhood policing and stronger measures to prevent farm theft and fly-tipping.
Our engagement with rural areas is through the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) which is why we are working closely with them to deliver the Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy. This joined up approach between government and policing will help ensure we are tackling rural crimes such as the theft of high value farm equipment and livestock.
Rural communities will also benefit from more local visible policing through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, with more officers helping to tackle crimes like anti-social behaviour and county lines which can have a devastating impact on rural life. Under the Guarantee, each community, including rural communities, will have a named, contactable officer to turn to.
The Crime and Policing Bill will introduce a new power for the police to enter and search premises to which items have been electronically tracked by GPS or other means, where the items are reasonably believed to have been stolen and are on those premises, and where it has not been reasonably practicable to obtain a warrant from a court. This will provide a valuable tool for police in tackling stolen equipment and machinery.
We are also committed to implementing the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 and fully support its aims to tackle the theft and resale of ATVs, quad bikes and GPS systems. We will bring the necessary secondary legislation when parliamentary time allows.
This financial year the Home Office has provided the first Government funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit (£365,000) as well as continuing funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit (£450,000). The National Rural Crime Unit assists all police forces, including Northumbria, in tackling rural crime.