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Written Question
Cybercrime: Solihull
Thursday 18th January 2024

Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to tackle cyber-related crime in Solihull constituency.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)

Tackling cyber crime is at the heart of the Government’s National Cyber Strategy 2022-25, which is supported by £2.6 billion of investment through the National Cyber Fund.

Key to delivery is ensuring that local policing has the resources needed to deal with the cyber threats we face. In 2023/24, the Home Office is receiving £18 million from the National Cyber Fund to provide a range of capabilities and resource to tackle and respond to cyber crime. This funding is supplemented by a further £16 million of Home Office funding through the Police Settlement Programme.

This funding continues to build law enforcement capabilities at the national, regional, and local levels to ensure they have the capacity and expertise to deal with the perpetrators and victims of cyber crime. We directly fund a specialist Cyber Crime Unit at West Midlands Police, which covers Solihull, and another, more specialist team, at the West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU). This ROCU team is integral to our response to high-harm, high-impact crimes like cyber extortion.

This Regional Cyber Crime Unit for West Midlands (RCCUWM) also works with businesses and organisations based in Solihull, across the private and public sectors, and at community level. Under the Local Resilience Forum, RCCUWM work with Solihull Council, amongst others, to build stronger cyber security and resilience. A key part of RCCUWM’s work is to ensure the integrity of our Critical National Infrastructure providers, and they have a long-standing partnership with NHS Birmingham Solihull (BSOL) Integrated Care System and NHS England.

We have also rolled out Regional Cyber Resilience Centres in London and each of the nine policing regions, including the West Midlands.  These are a collaboration between the police, public, private sector and academic partners to provide cyber security advice to Small and Medium Sized Enterprises so that they can protect themselves better in a digital age. Details of the Cyber Resilience Centre for the West Midlands can be found at Cyber Resilience | The Cyber Resilience Centre For The West Midlands (wmcrc.co.uk)

All vulnerable victims of fraud and cyber crime in Solihull receive contact and Protect advice from law enforcement, specifically aimed at helping them to protect themselves in future from revictimization.

The specialist RCCUWM Prevent Team also work to intervene if people are deemed at risk of becoming involved in cyber offending. RCCUWM deliver the National Cyber Choices programme and have delivered multiple initiatives across Solihull, including working with schools to help them identify those at risk. Solihull local police officers support these important safeguarding interventions.


Written Question
Police: Elections
Thursday 18th January 2024

Asked by: Chloe Smith (Conservative - Norwich North)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Security Minister's role leading the Defending Democracy Taskforce, if he will take steps to appoint (a) a lead police force and (b) a lead officer in each police force for election security and electoral offences.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)

The Defending Democracy Taskforce seeks to protect the democratic integrity of the UK from the threats of foreign interference working across government and with operational partners, including Counter Terrorism Policing as a standing Taskforce member.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council has a national portfolio lead for policing of elections. This role is currently held by Assistant Commissioner Nik Adams of the City of London Police.

The National Police Operations Centre (NPoCC) are coordinating national planning for policing relating to the elections. This work is bringing together regional representatives from police forces to ensure efficient and effective national coordination for the preparation, planning and delivery of policing responses to elections in the UK.


Written Question
Shoplifting: Identification of Criminals
Tuesday 16th January 2024

Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Sunderland West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2023 to Question 6491 on Shoplifting, whether HM Passport Office data has been used to help identify suspects of shoplifting.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government recognises the significant impact shoplifting has on businesses, communities and consumers.

The Crime Survey for England and Wales shows neighbourhood crime is down 51% compared to findings from the year ending March 2010; however, Police Recorded Crime figures show shoplifting offences increased by 25% in the 12 months to June 2023. Statistics also show the number of people charged with shoplifting offences has risen by 29% in the year ending June 2023. That’s a welcome indication that the police are heeding the message and are giving greater attention to shoplifting. The Home Office does not hold specific information relating to shoplifting offences attended by the police.

Over recent months I have worked with representatives of the retail sector and senior police leaders, including the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) leads for Acquisitive Crime, Retail Crime, Business Crime and the National Business Crime Centre, to improve the police response to

shoplifting. These conversations resulted in the development of the NPCC’s Retail Crime Action Plan.

In October, the NPCC published the Retail Crime Action Plan. Through this Plan, all police forces in England and Wales have committed to prioritise police attendance at the scene where violence has been used towards shop staff, where an offender has been detained by store security, and where evidence needs to be secured and can only be done by police personnel.

Additionally, where CCTV or other digital images are secured, police will run this through the Police National Database to further aid efforts to identify prolific offenders or potentially dangerous individuals. Police forces use the facial matching facility on the Police National Database which contains images of people previously arrested. The UK passport database is searched on a limited basis in support of the most serious law enforcement investigations.

The plan also includes guidance for retailers on what response they can expect from their local police, as well as how retailers can assist the police by providing evidence to help ensure cases are followed-up. Retailers can assist police by providing CCTV footage and images, which is best shared electronically via a Digital Evidence Management System.

The Home Office does not hold data on police attendance at retail crime incidents. The NPCC is exploring how this data could be captured by police forces to show attendance in line with the commitments in the Retail Crime Action Plan.

The Home Office collects and publishes data on arrests made by police in England and Wales, as part of the annual ‘Police Powers and Procedures: Stop and search and arrests’ statistical release. The Home Office does not hold information relating to citizens arrests.


Written Question
Shoplifting: Arrests
Tuesday 16th January 2024

Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Sunderland West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2023 to Question 6491 on Shoplifting, whether the number of citizen's arrests related to shoplifting increased in 2023.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government recognises the significant impact shoplifting has on businesses, communities and consumers.

The Crime Survey for England and Wales shows neighbourhood crime is down 51% compared to findings from the year ending March 2010; however, Police Recorded Crime figures show shoplifting offences increased by 25% in the 12 months to June 2023. Statistics also show the number of people charged with shoplifting offences has risen by 29% in the year ending June 2023. That’s a welcome indication that the police are heeding the message and are giving greater attention to shoplifting. The Home Office does not hold specific information relating to shoplifting offences attended by the police.

Over recent months I have worked with representatives of the retail sector and senior police leaders, including the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) leads for Acquisitive Crime, Retail Crime, Business Crime and the National Business Crime Centre, to improve the police response to

shoplifting. These conversations resulted in the development of the NPCC’s Retail Crime Action Plan.

In October, the NPCC published the Retail Crime Action Plan. Through this Plan, all police forces in England and Wales have committed to prioritise police attendance at the scene where violence has been used towards shop staff, where an offender has been detained by store security, and where evidence needs to be secured and can only be done by police personnel.

Additionally, where CCTV or other digital images are secured, police will run this through the Police National Database to further aid efforts to identify prolific offenders or potentially dangerous individuals. Police forces use the facial matching facility on the Police National Database which contains images of people previously arrested. The UK passport database is searched on a limited basis in support of the most serious law enforcement investigations.

The plan also includes guidance for retailers on what response they can expect from their local police, as well as how retailers can assist the police by providing evidence to help ensure cases are followed-up. Retailers can assist police by providing CCTV footage and images, which is best shared electronically via a Digital Evidence Management System.

The Home Office does not hold data on police attendance at retail crime incidents. The NPCC is exploring how this data could be captured by police forces to show attendance in line with the commitments in the Retail Crime Action Plan.

The Home Office collects and publishes data on arrests made by police in England and Wales, as part of the annual ‘Police Powers and Procedures: Stop and search and arrests’ statistical release. The Home Office does not hold information relating to citizens arrests.


Written Question
Retail Trade: Crime
Tuesday 16th January 2024

Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Sunderland West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times Ministers in his Department consulted the National Police Chiefs' Council on its Retail Crime Action Plan before publication.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government recognises the significant impact shoplifting has on businesses, communities and consumers.

The Crime Survey for England and Wales shows neighbourhood crime is down 51% compared to findings from the year ending March 2010; however, Police Recorded Crime figures show shoplifting offences increased by 25% in the 12 months to June 2023. Statistics also show the number of people charged with shoplifting offences has risen by 29% in the year ending June 2023. That’s a welcome indication that the police are heeding the message and are giving greater attention to shoplifting. The Home Office does not hold specific information relating to shoplifting offences attended by the police.

Over recent months I have worked with representatives of the retail sector and senior police leaders, including the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) leads for Acquisitive Crime, Retail Crime, Business Crime and the National Business Crime Centre, to improve the police response to

shoplifting. These conversations resulted in the development of the NPCC’s Retail Crime Action Plan.

In October, the NPCC published the Retail Crime Action Plan. Through this Plan, all police forces in England and Wales have committed to prioritise police attendance at the scene where violence has been used towards shop staff, where an offender has been detained by store security, and where evidence needs to be secured and can only be done by police personnel.

Additionally, where CCTV or other digital images are secured, police will run this through the Police National Database to further aid efforts to identify prolific offenders or potentially dangerous individuals. Police forces use the facial matching facility on the Police National Database which contains images of people previously arrested. The UK passport database is searched on a limited basis in support of the most serious law enforcement investigations.

The plan also includes guidance for retailers on what response they can expect from their local police, as well as how retailers can assist the police by providing evidence to help ensure cases are followed-up. Retailers can assist police by providing CCTV footage and images, which is best shared electronically via a Digital Evidence Management System.

The Home Office does not hold data on police attendance at retail crime incidents. The NPCC is exploring how this data could be captured by police forces to show attendance in line with the commitments in the Retail Crime Action Plan.

The Home Office collects and publishes data on arrests made by police in England and Wales, as part of the annual ‘Police Powers and Procedures: Stop and search and arrests’ statistical release. The Home Office does not hold information relating to citizens arrests.


Written Question
Shoplifting
Tuesday 16th January 2024

Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Sunderland West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2023 to Question 6491 on Shoplifting, what percentage of reports of shoplifting were attended by police in 2023; and whether attendance levels increased after publication of the National Police Chiefs' Council's Retail Crime Action Plan in October 2023.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government recognises the significant impact shoplifting has on businesses, communities and consumers.

The Crime Survey for England and Wales shows neighbourhood crime is down 51% compared to findings from the year ending March 2010; however, Police Recorded Crime figures show shoplifting offences increased by 25% in the 12 months to June 2023. Statistics also show the number of people charged with shoplifting offences has risen by 29% in the year ending June 2023. That’s a welcome indication that the police are heeding the message and are giving greater attention to shoplifting. The Home Office does not hold specific information relating to shoplifting offences attended by the police.

Over recent months I have worked with representatives of the retail sector and senior police leaders, including the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) leads for Acquisitive Crime, Retail Crime, Business Crime and the National Business Crime Centre, to improve the police response to

shoplifting. These conversations resulted in the development of the NPCC’s Retail Crime Action Plan.

In October, the NPCC published the Retail Crime Action Plan. Through this Plan, all police forces in England and Wales have committed to prioritise police attendance at the scene where violence has been used towards shop staff, where an offender has been detained by store security, and where evidence needs to be secured and can only be done by police personnel.

Additionally, where CCTV or other digital images are secured, police will run this through the Police National Database to further aid efforts to identify prolific offenders or potentially dangerous individuals. Police forces use the facial matching facility on the Police National Database which contains images of people previously arrested. The UK passport database is searched on a limited basis in support of the most serious law enforcement investigations.

The plan also includes guidance for retailers on what response they can expect from their local police, as well as how retailers can assist the police by providing evidence to help ensure cases are followed-up. Retailers can assist police by providing CCTV footage and images, which is best shared electronically via a Digital Evidence Management System.

The Home Office does not hold data on police attendance at retail crime incidents. The NPCC is exploring how this data could be captured by police forces to show attendance in line with the commitments in the Retail Crime Action Plan.

The Home Office collects and publishes data on arrests made by police in England and Wales, as part of the annual ‘Police Powers and Procedures: Stop and search and arrests’ statistical release. The Home Office does not hold information relating to citizens arrests.


Written Question
Shoplifting
Tuesday 16th January 2024

Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Sunderland West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant the Answer of 18 December 2023 to Question 6491 on Shoplifting, following an instance of shoplifting what evidence can be secured from non-police personnel.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government recognises the significant impact shoplifting has on businesses, communities and consumers.

The Crime Survey for England and Wales shows neighbourhood crime is down 51% compared to findings from the year ending March 2010; however, Police Recorded Crime figures show shoplifting offences increased by 25% in the 12 months to June 2023. Statistics also show the number of people charged with shoplifting offences has risen by 29% in the year ending June 2023. That’s a welcome indication that the police are heeding the message and are giving greater attention to shoplifting. The Home Office does not hold specific information relating to shoplifting offences attended by the police.

Over recent months I have worked with representatives of the retail sector and senior police leaders, including the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) leads for Acquisitive Crime, Retail Crime, Business Crime and the National Business Crime Centre, to improve the police response to

shoplifting. These conversations resulted in the development of the NPCC’s Retail Crime Action Plan.

In October, the NPCC published the Retail Crime Action Plan. Through this Plan, all police forces in England and Wales have committed to prioritise police attendance at the scene where violence has been used towards shop staff, where an offender has been detained by store security, and where evidence needs to be secured and can only be done by police personnel.

Additionally, where CCTV or other digital images are secured, police will run this through the Police National Database to further aid efforts to identify prolific offenders or potentially dangerous individuals. Police forces use the facial matching facility on the Police National Database which contains images of people previously arrested. The UK passport database is searched on a limited basis in support of the most serious law enforcement investigations.

The plan also includes guidance for retailers on what response they can expect from their local police, as well as how retailers can assist the police by providing evidence to help ensure cases are followed-up. Retailers can assist police by providing CCTV footage and images, which is best shared electronically via a Digital Evidence Management System.

The Home Office does not hold data on police attendance at retail crime incidents. The NPCC is exploring how this data could be captured by police forces to show attendance in line with the commitments in the Retail Crime Action Plan.

The Home Office collects and publishes data on arrests made by police in England and Wales, as part of the annual ‘Police Powers and Procedures: Stop and search and arrests’ statistical release. The Home Office does not hold information relating to citizens arrests.


Written Question
Shoplifting
Wednesday 20th December 2023

Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the rise in shoplifting; and what steps they will take to reduce these offences.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Government recognises the significant impact shoplifting has on businesses, communities and consumers. The Crime Survey for England and Wales shows neighbourhood crime is down 51% compared to findings from the year ending March 2010.

However, Police Recorded Crime figures show shoplifting offences increased by 25% in the 12 months to June 2023. Statistics also show the number of people charged with shoplifting offences has risen by 29% in the year ending June 2023.

We have recently made significant steps to improve the police response to retail crime, including shoplifting.

In October, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) published the Retail Crime Action Plan. Through this Plan, all police forces in England and Wales have committed to prioritise police attendance at the scene where violence has been used towards shop staff, where an offender has been detained by store security, and where evidence needs to be secured and can only be done by police personnel. Additionally, where CCTV or other digital images are secured, police will run this through the Police National Database to further aid efforts to identify prolific offenders or potentially dangerous individuals.

This builds on the NPCC commitment that police forces across England and Wales will follow up all crimes where there is actionable evidence and the chance of identifying an offender, including shoplifting.

October also saw the launch of Pegasus, a unique private-public partnership, which involves retailers providing data, intelligence and evidence to Opal, the national police intelligence unit on organised acquisitive crime, to develop a better strategic picture and help forces crack down on serious offenders.


Written Question
Retail Trade: Crimes of Violence
Wednesday 20th December 2023

Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals on a new standalone criminal offence to protect retail workers from violence and abuse.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is clear that violent and abusive behaviour towards any public-facing worker is never acceptable. We take this issue very seriously and recognise the implications on businesses as well as the victims.

The Government took a significant step and legislated to introduce a statutory aggravating factor for assault against any public facing worker via section 156 of the Police Crime Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. This ensures the public facing nature of a victim’s role will be considered an aggravating factor when it comes to sentencing for assault offences.

We keep all legislation under review. Under section 176 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, the shoplifting of goods of a value of £200 or less is a summary offence unless the defendant, if an adult, elects to be tried in the Crown Court. Where a summary offence is committed, the case can be handled as a police-led prosecution. There is a misconception this is used as a threshold by police forces, so that if the value of goods stolen is under £200, police will not respond. No police force has such a policy and this summary offence for shoplifting does not prevent police taking action against shoplifters.

The Government has recently made significant steps to improve the police response to retail crime. In October, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) published the Retail Crime Action Plan. Through this Plan, all police forces in England and Wales have committed to prioritise police attendance at the scene where violence has been used towards shop staff, where an offender has been detained by store security, and where evidence needs to be secured and can only be done by police personnel. Additionally, where CCTV or other digital images are secured, police will run this through the Police National Database to further aid efforts to identify prolific offenders or potentially dangerous individuals. This builds on the commitment made by the NPCC in August 2023 that all police forces across England and Wales will follow up all crimes where there is actionable evidence and the chance of identifying an offender, including shoplifting.

Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) are a valued part of the police workforce, as a key liaison point to help resolve local issues and foster good community relations.

Decisions around recruitment and retention of PCSOs and the powers and duties they have are for Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners.


Written Question
Shoplifting
Wednesday 20th December 2023

Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of theft from a shop of goods with a value of £200 or less being a summary-only offence on detection rates for low value shop theft.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is clear that violent and abusive behaviour towards any public-facing worker is never acceptable. We take this issue very seriously and recognise the implications on businesses as well as the victims.

The Government took a significant step and legislated to introduce a statutory aggravating factor for assault against any public facing worker via section 156 of the Police Crime Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. This ensures the public facing nature of a victim’s role will be considered an aggravating factor when it comes to sentencing for assault offences.

We keep all legislation under review. Under section 176 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, the shoplifting of goods of a value of £200 or less is a summary offence unless the defendant, if an adult, elects to be tried in the Crown Court. Where a summary offence is committed, the case can be handled as a police-led prosecution. There is a misconception this is used as a threshold by police forces, so that if the value of goods stolen is under £200, police will not respond. No police force has such a policy and this summary offence for shoplifting does not prevent police taking action against shoplifters.

The Government has recently made significant steps to improve the police response to retail crime. In October, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) published the Retail Crime Action Plan. Through this Plan, all police forces in England and Wales have committed to prioritise police attendance at the scene where violence has been used towards shop staff, where an offender has been detained by store security, and where evidence needs to be secured and can only be done by police personnel. Additionally, where CCTV or other digital images are secured, police will run this through the Police National Database to further aid efforts to identify prolific offenders or potentially dangerous individuals. This builds on the commitment made by the NPCC in August 2023 that all police forces across England and Wales will follow up all crimes where there is actionable evidence and the chance of identifying an offender, including shoplifting.

Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) are a valued part of the police workforce, as a key liaison point to help resolve local issues and foster good community relations.

Decisions around recruitment and retention of PCSOs and the powers and duties they have are for Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners.