Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Community Policing

Monday 5 January 2026 · 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

  • Monica Harding praised the local police in Esher and Walton for increasing solved burglaries by 84%, though she noted concerns about police perception issues.
  • Luke Murphy welcomed the Government's neighbourhood policing initiative but highlighted issues related to police retention under the previous government.
  • Katie Lam raised concerns about the West Midlands police retrospectively creating rationale and false evidence to justify a ban on fans from a football match.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Monica Harding Lib Dem Esher and Walton
Crime & Law Enforcement Justice & Courts
Context

The MP notes an increase in solved burglaries but concerns over the delay in bringing offenders to trial, citing a two-year wait for court appearances. The situation affects public confidence in law enforcement effectiveness.

Question

Happy new year to you, Mr Speaker. I pay tribute to the work of the police in my constituency of Esher and Walton, who have got the rate of solved burglaries up by 84%. However, while the local police are doing a great job catching burglars, they tell me that the perception that they are unable to bring those burglars to justice is making it more difficult to tackle persistent offenders and is impacting on the confidence of local residents. My constituents were incredulous recently when the borough commander told them that two individuals charged with burglary in December last year had been given a date to appear for trial in September 2027. What conversations is the Minister having with her counterparts in the Ministry of Justice to increase the number of Crown court sitting days so that my constituents can have confidence?

Answer from The Minister for Policing and Crime (Sarah Jones)

The hon. Lady highlights a problem that we inherited from the previous Government, which is very considerable—we do not deny that. We in the Home Office are talking to our colleagues in the Ministry of Justice every day about how we manage the situation and increase the speed with which people are brought to justice. This Government want to see everyone who commits a crime do the time.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific timelines or actions to address court delays were not provided.

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Q2 Luke Murphy Lab Basingstoke
Policing & Resources
Context

The MP welcomes the Government’s neighbourhood policing guarantee but expresses concern over officer retention, noting that locally trained officers are moving to higher-paid forces such as those in London.

Question

Happy new year to you and your team, Mr Speaker. I welcome the Government’s neighbourhood policing guarantee, which puts named, contactable officers in every community, and indeed the increased presence of patrols in the Top of the Town in Basingstoke. However, as the Minister knows—we have corresponded on this issue—one of the issues that we in Basingstoke face is the retention of officers, with locally trained officers moving to higher-paid forces such as those in London. What more can the Department do, and what more can I do, to ensure we improve the retention of officers in Basingstoke, including to support community policing?

Answer from The Minister for Policing and Crime (Sarah Jones)

My hon. Friend makes a good point. It was not just public confidence in policing that fell under the last Government but how the police felt they were treated, which affects retention. One aspect of the White Paper process and police reform is looking at how we train police, how we treat them and how we give them the support they need to do the job they want to do, rather than the bureaucracy that blights a lot of their time. My hon. Friend makes a good point, and we are working closely with the police bodies to ensure that we get this right.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific measures or commitments to address retention were not provided.

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Q3 Katie Lam Con Weald of Kent
Policing & Resources Community Security
Context

The MP raises concerns over the West Midlands police’s actions in banning Jewish fans from attending a football match, citing The Sunday Times' investigative work. She questions whether the chief constable can effectively oversee community policing.

Question

It is becoming increasingly apparent that West Midlands police retrospectively created a rationale and, according to remarkable investigative work by The Sunday Times, false evidence to justify their predetermined decision to ban fans from the world’s only Jewish state from going to a football match in Britain’s second city. Does the Minister think that the chief constable of such a force can possibly be overseeing effective community policing? How can he continue in his role?

Answer from The Minister for Policing and Crime (Sarah Jones)

The Prime Minister, the Home Secretary and the whole Government have been clear that we believe the wrong decision was made. We have asked the inspector to look at what happened in two parts: first, what happened around the match itself; and secondly, a wider look at the police role in relation to safety advisory groups and how decisions are made. We had been expecting that information before the end of the year, but it will be slightly delayed to take into account the recall of the West Midlands chief constable to appear before the Home Affairs Committee tomorrow. We need to wait and see what the inspector says, and that is what we will do. That is the right thing to do, because these things will be considered in the round.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific actions to address the current situation were not outlined.

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