Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Rural Crime Reduction

Monday 28 September 2020 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Andrew Griffith asked the Minister about steps to reduce rural crime levels.
  • The Minister praised Katy Bourne for establishing the Sussex rural crime team.
  • The Minister acknowledged the tragic events in Croydon and expressed hope for justice.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Andrew Griffith Con Arundel and South Downs
Crime & Law Enforcement Community Security
Context

The question arises from concerns over the level of crime in rural communities, particularly noting specific actions taken by local stakeholders.

Question

What steps her Department is taking to reduce the level of crime committed in rural areas. Will the Minister join me in thanking the Sussex rural crime team, which I long campaigned for and which was set up by police commissioner Katy Bourne in June this year? It is now doing excellent work, protecting our rural communities, farmers and isolated towns and villages in Arundel and South Downs.

Answer from Kit Malthouse

I am aware that my hon. Friend has made a huge impact in his constituency since he was elected recently and that this is a result of something that he has campaigned on for some time. I applaud Katy Bourne—who is one of our leading police and crime commissioners and is always innovating—on the establishment of this unit, and I hope that it will make a big difference. I am reminded with rural crime of that interesting philosophical question: if a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound? If a crime happens and no one reports it, do the police see it? I urge my hon. Friend to encourage his constituents, particularly in rural areas—we have had a number of questions on rural crime today—to report every single crime, because modern policing is driven by data, and if a crime is not reported, as far as the police are concerned, it probably never happened.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific steps being taken to reduce crime in rural areas

How: Changing Subject, Urging Reporting Of Crimes

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Q2 Andrew Griffith Con Arundel and South Downs
Policing & Resources Crime & Law Enforcement
Context

The question stems from a tribute to Sergeant Matt Ratana and addresses the impacts of deep cuts to community policing, particularly affecting rural areas where vulnerability is high. Only one in 14 crimes leads to court proceedings, indicating significant challenges for victims seeking justice.

Question

As a Croydon MP and the shadow Policing Minister, I pay tribute to Sergeant Matt Ratana for his years of service in my community. Our community spoke as one on Friday both in our grief, but also in our gratitude for the many years of service from a wonderful officer, who was the very best of us, and we will not forget him. Community policing is the bedrock of our communities, but it has suffered deep cuts. Those cuts have an acute impact in our rural areas, where vulnerability and isolation can be particularly severe. Only one in 14 crimes leads to court proceedings. Most victims get no justice at all. The Government have overseen a cut in the number of police community support officers by nearly 50%, and there are no plans to replace them. What does the Minister say to the victims of crime who deserve justice but under this Government are just not getting it?

Answer from Kit Malthouse

I acknowledge the hon. Lady's words about the awful events of Friday. I know that it hit home hard in Croydon for her; I think she was due to visit that very custody suite that day or the following day. It was a terrible time, and hopefully justice will follow that awful crime. On the hon. Lady's wider point, she and I have had this discussion a number of times over the Dispatch Box. Although repetition is not infrequent in this Chamber, I urge her to reflect on the fact that for the first half of the coalition and then Conservative Government, we were struggling with a difficult financial situation nationally, and crime was falling. That required a different kind of response to the one we see today. She is right to point to the fact that we have seen a rise in crime over the past couple of years, albeit different kinds of crime from those we have seen previously. That is why we are massively increasing police capacity and bringing enormous focus, through the National Policing Board, the Crime Performance Board, which I lead, and the Strategic Change and Investment Board at the Home Office, to the national systemic problems that she raises in the hope that, over the next three years, we can drive them down significantly.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not address cuts to community policing or lack of justice for victims directly

How: Acknowledging Events, Contextualizing Financial Situation

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