Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been arrested for drink driving in the last 12 months.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not hold the specific information requested.
While the Home Office routinely collects and publishes information on arrests for notifiable offences by age group and HOCR offence group in the Stop and search, arrests, and mental health detentions, March 2025 - GOV.UK. statistics, detailed age breakdowns and offence types are not available.
Drink driving offences are not notifiable offences and therefore this information is not available in the arrests statistics.
Therefore, figures for the number of people who have arrested for drink driving in the last 12 months is not available.
Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the governance, transparency and accountability of the Police Federation of England and Wales in the context of the remuneration of the General Secretary; and what steps she is taking to ensure effective oversight of statutory bodies funded by mandatory subscriptions.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
We ask police officers to do a unique and challenging job, so it is vital that they have effective and robust representation of their interests through the Police Federation of England and Wales.
The Police Federation must be fully accountable to its members and transparent in its use of members’ subscriptions, including the remuneration of those who lead the organisation.
We expect the Police Federation to ensure timely publication of its accounts and to give clarity about its future governance and transformation, as key factors in being open and accountable to its members.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure police officers are trained to (a) recognise and (b) respond to the mental health needs of young people held in police custody.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
It is the responsibility of the College of Policing for setting standards for police training and development, including the national policing curriculum, leadership standards and accreditations for those who work in high risk or specialist roles. It is then the responsibility of individual police forces for local delivery of training and ongoing development for all officers and staff with support from the College.
The College’s core learning standards includes the initial training for officers under the Police Constable entry programme and incorporates content on autism, learning disabilities, mental health and other vulnerabilities. Officers are taught to assess vulnerability and adapt their approach accordingly, and guidance for Custody Sergeants covers additional legal responsibilities and safe detention, including fitness for detention and safeguarding.
To support both the recognition and response to mental health needs, the College promotes frameworks for consistent identification of vulnerability and appropriate safeguarding action. Liaison and Diversion schemes commissioned by NHS England operate in custody suites to identify and refer individuals with mental health needs or other vulnerabilities to specialist support services. These schemes also provide advice to custody staff on how best to support people with these needs.
When a death occurs in custody, the College’s Authorised Professional Practice sets out procedures for forces to follow. These include reporting deaths to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, investigating and analysing incidents, and implementing lessons learned.
Policing is operationally independent, and chief constables decide on any additional training locally. His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services regularly inspects police forces, including on how they protect vulnerable people.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of police training relating to the care of vulnerable young people held in police custody.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
It is the responsibility of the College of Policing for setting standards for police training and development, including the national policing curriculum, leadership standards and accreditations for those who work in high risk or specialist roles. It is then the responsibility of individual police forces for local delivery of training and ongoing development for all officers and staff with support from the College.
The College’s core learning standards includes the initial training for officers under the Police Constable entry programme and incorporates content on autism, learning disabilities, mental health and other vulnerabilities. Officers are taught to assess vulnerability and adapt their approach accordingly, and guidance for Custody Sergeants covers additional legal responsibilities and safe detention, including fitness for detention and safeguarding.
To support both the recognition and response to mental health needs, the College promotes frameworks for consistent identification of vulnerability and appropriate safeguarding action. Liaison and Diversion schemes commissioned by NHS England operate in custody suites to identify and refer individuals with mental health needs or other vulnerabilities to specialist support services. These schemes also provide advice to custody staff on how best to support people with these needs.
When a death occurs in custody, the College’s Authorised Professional Practice sets out procedures for forces to follow. These include reporting deaths to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, investigating and analysing incidents, and implementing lessons learned.
Policing is operationally independent, and chief constables decide on any additional training locally. His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services regularly inspects police forces, including on how they protect vulnerable people.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what additional (a) guidance and (b) training her Department provides to police forces following incidents in which a person has died following a period in police custody.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
It is the responsibility of the College of Policing for setting standards for police training and development, including the national policing curriculum, leadership standards and accreditations for those who work in high risk or specialist roles. It is then the responsibility of individual police forces for local delivery of training and ongoing development for all officers and staff with support from the College.
The College’s core learning standards includes the initial training for officers under the Police Constable entry programme and incorporates content on autism, learning disabilities, mental health and other vulnerabilities. Officers are taught to assess vulnerability and adapt their approach accordingly, and guidance for Custody Sergeants covers additional legal responsibilities and safe detention, including fitness for detention and safeguarding.
To support both the recognition and response to mental health needs, the College promotes frameworks for consistent identification of vulnerability and appropriate safeguarding action. Liaison and Diversion schemes commissioned by NHS England operate in custody suites to identify and refer individuals with mental health needs or other vulnerabilities to specialist support services. These schemes also provide advice to custody staff on how best to support people with these needs.
When a death occurs in custody, the College’s Authorised Professional Practice sets out procedures for forces to follow. These include reporting deaths to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, investigating and analysing incidents, and implementing lessons learned.
Policing is operationally independent, and chief constables decide on any additional training locally. His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services regularly inspects police forces, including on how they protect vulnerable people.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle organised acquisitive rural crime.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
We are improving the protections for rural communities, with tougher measures to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, strengthened neighbourhood policing and stronger measures to prevent farm theft. This financial year the Home Office will be providing 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 Wildlife Crime Unit has a far-reaching impact, assisting in detecting high-profile and high-value crimes including serious organised crime. This includes disrupting organised crime groups. Funding the National Rural Crime Unit enables it to continue to increase collaboration across police forces, harnessing the latest technology and data to target the serious organised crime groups involved in crimes like equipment theft from farms.
Through the Crime and Policing Bill we are introducing 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.
Additionally, we are committed to the implementation of the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act and fully support its intentions to tackle the theft and re-sale of All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), quad bikes and GPS systems.
There can be challenges in responding to rural crime. That is why we have worked closely with the NPCC to deliver their updated Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy for 2025-2028. The strategy sets out operational and organisational policing priorities in respect of tackling crimes that predominantly affect rural communities.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to announce the (a) scope and (b) timetable of the forthcoming consultation on proposals to merge shotgun and firearms licensing regimes.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February 2025, included a commitment to having a public consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns to bring them more into line with the controls on other firearms in the interests of public safety.
We intend to publish this consultation shortly.
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help prevent glassware attacks at late night venues.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The police are responsible for protecting the public by detecting and preventing crime. The government expects the police to respond to all allegations made, including those involving violence in the night time economy, and treat them seriously, investigate and consider any arrests or charging decisions as required.
The Home Office has responsibility for the Licensing Act 2003, which determines the regime for the licensing of, among others, venues which sell alcohol. The Act sets out four licensing objectives: the prevention of crime and disorder; the prevention of public nuisance; upholding public safety and protecting children from harm.
Local licensing authorities are responsible for making licensing decisions in England and Wales and ensuring the licensing objectives are upheld. The Government publishes statutory guidance to assist licensing authorities in fulfilling these duties. The guidance sets out matters that should be considered by a licensing authority in relation to public safety. This explicitly includes giving consideration to requiring, as part of a premises licence, the use of plastic containers and preventing customer access to glass bottles.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 9 December 2025, to Question 96551, on Police: accountability, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of adding district-level licensing authorities in two-tier areas to the new Policing and Crime Boards.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government intends to legislate as soon as Parliamentary time allows to create Policing and Crime Boards to replace Police and Crime Commissioners where it is not possible for policing functions to be held by a Strategic Authority Mayor. These changes will take effect in May 2028.
Councils in two-tier areas are currently undergoing local government reorganisation, and the Government is on track to deliver unitary local government in all areas by 2028. Therefore, no district-level authorities will exist from that point.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on what intelligence was shared by West Midlands Police with (a) the UK Football Policing Unit, (b) the National Police Chiefs Council and (c) her Department.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Affairs Select Committee held evidence sessions on 1 December and 6 January to examine West Midlands Police’s intelligence assessments underpinning the ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters.
As I committed to the House of Commons, I have provided details of my correspondence with the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police to the Home Affairs Select Committee. Correspondence and evidence submitted to the Committee are routinely published on its official website, ensuring full transparency.
In addition, the Home Office has published HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary’s inspection report, which considers the information and intelligence in respect of the match assessment and categorisation produced by West Midlands Police. The report can be found at the following link: Inspection of police forces’ contributions to safety advisory groups: West Midlands Police - GOV.UK