Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Freight Crime

03 December 2024 · 5 other contributors · 3,495 words

Opened by Rachel Taylor Lab North Warwickshire and Bedworth

Responding minister: Dan Jarvis

Crime & Law EnforcementTransport

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Rachel Taylor raised concerns about freight crime in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Concerns raised about the impact of freight crime on the UK road haulage industry, which contributes 13.5 billion to the economy.
  • In 2023, there were 5,370 reports of heavy goods vehicle and cargo crime in the UK, resulting in 68.3 million worth of stolen goods.
  • The National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) is under-supported, lacking a national strategy and resources to combat organised crime.

Key requests to Government

I ask the Government to commit to working with the Department for Transport to improve service station security for freight drivers, increase support and resources for law enforcement, and launch a national freight crime awareness campaign. I also urge the Minister to provide more resources to tackle crime in identified hotspots and develop a cross-county strategy for information sharing between NaVCIS, businesses, and police forces.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Rachel Taylor Lab North Warwickshire and Bedworth

I am concerned about the serious impact of freight crime on the road haulage industry, which contributes £13.5 billion to the UK economy. In 2023, there were 5,370 reports of heavy goods vehicle and cargo crime in the UK, resulting in £68.3 million worth of stolen goods. Service stations like Corley services in my constituency have been repeatedly targeted by criminals, with 76 offences recorded in 2023 alone. The National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) is under-supported, lacking a national strategy and resources to combat organised crime.

Other contributors (5)
  • Amanda Martin Lab Portsmouth North

    The hon. Member for Portsmouth North highlighted the impact of freight crime on female drivers and the lack of secure parking facilities, which contributes to a lack of diversity in the sector according to the International Transport Workers' Federation.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    The hon. Member for Strangford noted that there were 5,373 cases of freight and cargo crime reported in Northern Ireland by the National Criminal Intelligence Service, representing a 7% increase from the previous year. He highlighted the involvement of drug smuggling through freight as a significant issue.

  • John Slinger Lab Rugby

    The hon. Member for Rugby emphasised that 75% of freight crime offences occur in independent road parking or unsecured motorway service areas due to poor standards in overnight lorry parking facilities.

  • Nigel Mills Con Amber Valley

    I agree that regional and national emphasis is needed to tackle freight crime. I urge the Government to treat this issue with seriousness and take action to improve security for drivers.

  • Sam Carling Lab North West Cambridgeshire

    The hon. Member for North West Cambridgeshire pointed out that his constituency has around 12,000 employees in the wholesale and retail trade sector, many of whom are affected by freight crime. He referenced a report from the APPG on freight and logistics naming Peterborough as a key hotspot.

Government Response

Dan Jarvis

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Mark, and I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for North Warwickshire and Bedworth (Rachel Taylor) on securing this debate. As was very clear from her remarks, she has a huge interest in, and knowledge of, these important matters. The Government will work with partners—including the police—to mount an effective response to freight crime rates which have risen over the past few years. We are restoring visible neighbourhood policing through our neighbourhood policing guarantee, delivering thousands of neighbourhood police, community support officers, and special constables. On freight and related vehicle crimes specifically, we are working closely with the automotive industry and NaVCIS to provide dedicated specialist intelligence and enforcement. A network of vehicle crime specialists has been established involving every police force in England and Wales to help share information about emerging trends in vehicle crime so that we can better tackle regional issues. We will also bring forward legislation to ban electronic devices used to steal vehicles, empowering the police and courts to target criminals using, manufacturing and supplying them. The Policing Minister recently met the National Police Chiefs' Council lead for vehicle crime, Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims, to discuss these issues and how we can work more effectively together. A task and finish group on HGV facilities will complete its work in January, focusing on increasing capacity for safe and secure parking and driving the industry's adoption of existing HGV parking standards. The Government are prioritising improvements to the planning system, with new language on freight and logistics in the national planning policy framework recognising the importance of considering freight in planning. We acknowledge the involvement of serious and organised criminals in committing freight crime and are investing £58 million in the National Crime Agency to strengthen data analysis and intelligence capabilities. The Government completely recognise the significant importance of the freight sector, which accounts for 5% of gross value added to the UK non-financial business economy.

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