Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Rural Crime

Thursday 19 December 2024 · 3 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 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial focus on increasing police presence to address rural crime issues.
  • Government committed to implementing the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act to combat agricultural vehicle theft.
  • Cross-Government approach being taken to tackle fly-tipping, ensuring environmental vandals are held accountable.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Rachel Hopkins Lab Luton South and South Bedfordshire
Policing & Resources Crime & Law Enforcement
Context

None provided.

Question

What steps she is taking to help ensure increased prosecution rates for rural crime.

Answer from Lucy Rigby

Reliable and effective local policing is the foundation for keeping all our constituents safe, whether they live in a city, a town or a rural area. That is why the Government are putting more police officers and PCSOs on the beat. Our plan for change will ensure every neighbourhood has a named contactable police officer in their community to deal with local issues.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not address prosecution rates directly, only mentioned increased policing presence.

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Q2 Josh Fenton-Glynn Lab Calder Valley
Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Context

The Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act was passed but not fully implemented due to lack of statutory instrument. The question seeks assurance on its implementation.

Question

I welcome my hon. Friend to her place. Representing a rural constituency, I am aware of the ongoing problem of agricultural vehicle theft. In Calder Valley, vehicle crime counts for one in every 20 crimes committed. The Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023, passed by the hon. Member for Mid Buckinghamshire (Greg Smith) as a private Member's Bill, was restricted to the re-sale of specified equipment. However, 18 months since it received Royal Assent, the statutory instrument needed for it to be enacted has yet to be laid. Will my hon. Friend act where the previous Government did not?

Answer from Lucy Rigby

We are committed to implementing the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act, which aims to prevent the theft and re-sale of high-value equipment, particularly for use in an agricultural setting, as my hon. Friend describes. He will know that the Minister for Policing, Fire and Crime Prevention takes this matter very seriously and is working closely with the automotive industry to ensure the most robust responses possible to these crimes. I am also happy to raise the matter with my hon. Friend's local chief Crown prosecutor.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not commit to specific action or timeline for implementation.

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Q3 Rachel Hopkins Lab Luton South and South Bedfordshire
Community Security Environment
Context

Farmers in Luton South and South Bedfordshire have reported frequent incidents of fly-tipping. The question seeks commitment to review sentencing guidelines.

Question

Farmers across Luton South and South Bedfordshire have frequently raised with me the issue of fly-tipping on their land. I welcome the Government's commitment to implement stronger laws to prevent fly-tipping. Will the Solicitor General, working with colleagues across Government, also commit to review and update sentencing guidelines for courts to make prosecuting fly-tippers more consistent and ensure more stringent fines are applied for the worst offenders?

Answer from Lucy Rigby

Fly-tipping is a scourge both in urban and rural areas, which is why we are clamping down on it by forcing environmental vandals to clean up the mess they create. We are taking a cross-Government approach, aligned with our safer streets mission. I am sure my hon. Friend will be reassured to know that, working with ministerial colleagues, we are setting out a new strategy that will address antisocial behaviour and fly-tipping, and restore public confidence in policing.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not commit to reviewing sentencing guidelines specifically.

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