Written questions by Pinkerton.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the timeliness of firearms licensing services in (a) Surrey Heath constituency and (b) the South East region.

The issuing of firearms certificates and the efficiency of police forces is a matter for individual Chief Officers of Police and Police and Crime Commissioners.The performance of forces with respect to firearms licensing is being monitored by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) lead on firearms licensing, Deputy Chief Constable David Gardner, and a new performance framework has been developed for firearms licensing teams. This is now being published online on a quarterly basis by the NPCC and provides greater transparency regarding force performance. This includes a performance benchmark for forces to complete applications for the grant or renewal of a firearm or shotgun certificate within four months for cases unless there are more complex factors to consider.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of staffing levels in firearms licensing units in Surrey.

The issuing of firearms certificates and the efficiency of police forces is a matter for individual Chief Officers of Police and Police and Crime Commissioners.The performance of forces with respect to firearms licensing is being monitored by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) lead on firearms licensing, Deputy Chief Constable David Gardner, and a new performance framework has been developed for firearms licensing teams. This is now being published online on a quarterly basis by the NPCC and provides greater transparency regarding force performance. This includes a performance benchmark for forces to complete applications for the grant or renewal of a firearm or shotgun certificate within four months for cases unless there are more complex factors to consider.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce anti-social behaviour by people on motorbikes in Surrey Heath constituency.

Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.Our Crime and Policing Bill will give the police greater powers to clamp down on all vehicles, including motorbikes, involved in anti-social behaviour, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing these vehicles.On 28 May, the Government launched a six-week consultation on proposals to allow the police to more quickly dispose of seized vehicles such as motorbikes, which have been used anti-socially.Combined, these proposals will help tackle the scourge of vehicles ridden anti-socially and illegally by sending a clear message to would be offenders and local communities that this behaviour will not be tolerated.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the support available to police who attend traumatic callouts in Surrey Heath constituency.

The health and wellbeing of our police is a top priority for the Home Office and it's essential that those who have faced traumatic incidents in the line of duty receive the support they need to recover and continue serving. We continue to fund the National Police Wellbeing Service who have developed an evidenced-based trauma support model which is now available to forces.NPWS have also created a national suicide action plan which aims to educate and support the workforce, reduce stress and improve data recording. In addition, the Service is piloting a 24/7 Mental Health Crisis Support Line to provide urgent support for our police when they need it the most.It is the responsibility of individual Chief Officers to effectively manage their workforce, ensuring the appropriate health and wellbeing provisions are in place for their officers and staff.

What steps her Department is taking to support campaign organisations in promoting awareness of the dangers of knife crime in Surrey Heath constituency.

Halving knife crime over the next decade is a key part of the Government’s Safer Streets Mission.As part of this mission, we have launched the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime. The Coalition brings together campaign groups, families of people who have tragically lost their lives to knife crime, young people who have been impacted and community leaders, united in their mission to save lives and make Britain a safer place for all.The Coalition includes representation from charities who work across Surrey and provide advice and expertise to the Government as it takes action to halve knife crime in a decade.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure the safety of town centres during summer 2025 in Surrey Heath constituency.

This is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission. As part of the Neighbourhood Policing Grant, £200 million has been allocated to forces for 2025/26 to support the Government’s commitment to deliver additional personnel into neighbourhood policing. Surrey Constabulary has been allocated £2,588,427 and will deliver an increase of 25 police officers by 31 March 2026.The Home Office is also providing £66.3 million funding in 2025-26 to forces in England and Wales to deliver high visibility patrols in the areas worst affected by knife crime, serious violence and anti-social behaviour. Surrey Police will receive £1,000,000 of this funding.In addition to this, the Safer Streets Summer Initiative is a government-led initiative to tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB), street crime and retail crime in town centres this summer, and to increase local confidence through increased collaboration at a local level. It will be led by Police and Crime and Commissioners, in partnership with Chief Constables and other key local partners such as councils, schools, health services, business, transport and community organisations.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce shop theft in Surrey Heath constituency.

Shop theft continues to increase at an unacceptable level, up 20% on year up to December 2024. We will not stand for this.We are providing £5 million over the next three years to continue to fund a specialist analysis team within Opal, the National Policing Intelligence Unit for serious organised acquisitive crime, to crack down on the organised gangs targeting retailers.We are also investing £2 million over the next three years in the National Business Crime Centre (NBCC) which provides a resource for both police and businesses to learn, share and support each other to prevent and combat crime.Via the Crime and Policing Bill we will repeal the legislation which makes shop theft of and below £200 a summary-only offence, which means it can only be tried a magistrate’s court. This will send a clear message that any level of shop theft is illegal and will be taken seriously. Also included in the Bill is a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.I chair the Retail Crime Forum which brings together the retail sector, security providers and law enforcement agencies to ensure we understand the needs of all retailers and to promote collaboration, share best practice and to work collectively to tackle the serious issue of retail crime. This includes the development of a new strategy to tackle shop theft published by policing, retail sector representatives and industry as part of collective efforts to combat shop theft.The strategy builds on previous progress made by police and retailers but provides a more comprehensive and intelligence-led approach to tackle all perpetrators of shop theft – not just organised criminal gangs.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce the number of unauthorised caravan encampments in Surrey Heath constituency.

While the Home Office sets the overall legal framework, local authorities retain the powers needed to manage unauthorised encampments. Where enforcement is required, it is an operational matter for the police, working with local authorities.

What steps her Department is taking to tackle levels of anti-social behaviour involving catapults in Surrey.

We are clear that catapults should not be used for illegal or anti-social purposes, whether against wildlife, people or property.The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of tools and powers that they can use to respond quickly and effectively to anti-social behaviour, including the misuse of catapults.Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are strengthening the powers available to relevant agencies to tackle ASB, including introducing new Respect Orders to tackle the most persistent ASB offenders.The police have powers relating to the use of any item as an offensive weapon, including a catapult. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996, the police also have powers to deal with cases where wildlife is attacked, including cases involving the misuse of catapults.We continue to keep all relevant legislation under review in the interest of public safety.

What steps her Department is taking to tackle violence against police officers in Surrey Heath constituency.

Our police officers and staff perform vital roles every day in serving and protecting the public, often in challenging and dangerous circumstances, we will not tolerate them facing violence and abuse.The Government is committed to supporting Chief Constables in meeting their responsibilities to protect their officers and staff. We are determined that the Police Covenant makes a tangible difference and have provided ongoing funding for the National Police Wellbeing Service (NPWS). The NPWS ensures police officers and staff have access to the health and wellbeing support they need, including providing personal and familial support for those who have been victims of assault.

What steps her Department is taking to help protect children from criminal exploitation in Surrey Heath constituency.

Tackling the criminal exploitation of children is an important strand of our work to halve knife crime under the Safer Streets Mission. Prevention and early intervention to stop young people being drawn into crime is an integral part of that mission including those being exploited by county lines gangs and those involved in violent crime.We are introducing a new offence of child criminal exploitation in the Crime and Policing Bill to increase convictions against exploiters, deter gangs from enlisting children, and improve identification of victims. Alongside the offence, we are creating a new regime for CCE prevention orders to prevent exploitative conduct committed by adults against children from occurring or re-occurring Through the County Lines Programme, we will continue to target exploitative drug dealing gangs and disrupt the organised crime groups behind this trade. Between July and September 2024, policing activity delivered through the County Lines Programme resulted in over 400 deal lines being closed, the arrest and charge of over 200 deal line holders, 500 arrests and 800 safeguarding referrals of children and vulnerable people. Through the Programme, we also fund specialist support for children and young people caught up in county lines and child criminal exploitation. More than 280 children and young people have received dedicated specialist support through our county lines support service since July 2024 While the majority of lines originate from the areas covered by the Metropolitan Police Service, West Midlands Police, Merseyside Police, and Greater Manchester Police, the county lines trade is a national issue. This is why, through the Home Office-funded County Lines Programme, we fund the National County Lines Co-ordination Centre to monitor the intelligence picture, identify and share effective practice, and co-ordinate the national law enforcement response. In addition, we have a dedicated surge fund which provides local forces with additional funding to tackle county lines, including Surrey Police.As part of the Programme, the National County Lines Coordination Centre regularly coordinates weeks of intensive action against county lines gangs, which all police forces take part in. The most recent of these took place between 25 November to 1 December 2024, during which Surrey Police made 18 arrests and seized 2 drug lines, 55 bladed articles and 4 firearms.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce car-related crimes in Surrey Heath constituency.

This Government is determined to drive down vehicle crime and are working with the automotive industry and the police to ensure the strongest response possible to this damaging crime.Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we have introduced measures to ban electronic devices used to steal vehicles, empowering the police and courts to target the criminals using, manufacturing and supplying them. We have also introduced a provision in the Bill which allows the police to enter and search premises for specific stolen property which has been electronically geolocation tracked to a particular premises, without the need for a warrant. This includes vehicles.In addition, the recently established National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership and the police-led National Vehicle Crime Working Group is focusing on steps to prevent and deter theft of and from vehicles. This includes training police officers on the methods used to steal vehicles, encouraging vehicle owners to secure their vehicles, and working with industry to address vulnerabilities in vehicles.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce car theft in Surrey Heath constituency.

This Government is determined to drive down vehicle crime and are working with the automotive industry and the police to ensure the strongest response possible to this damaging crime.Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we have introduced measures to ban electronic devices used to steal vehicles, empowering the police and courts to target the criminals using, manufacturing and supplying them. We have also introduced a provision in the Bill which allows the police to enter and search premises for specific stolen property which has been electronically geolocation tracked to a particular premises, without the need for a warrant. This includes vehicles.In addition, the recently established National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership and the police-led National Vehicle Crime Working Group is focusing on steps to prevent and deter theft of and from vehicles. This includes training police officers on the methods used to steal vehicles, encouraging vehicle owners to secure their vehicles, and working with industry to address vulnerabilities in vehicles.

What steps her Department is taking to help reduce sexual assault incidents in Surrey Heath constituency.

Tackling rape and sexual offences is a key part of our mission to tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG). To meet this ambition, we will deliver a cross-government, transformative approach, underpinned by a new VAWG Strategy, which we are aiming to publish this summer.We will continue to work with law enforcement agencies to ensure that the right powers are available for them to tackle sexual crimes, bring perpetrators to justice and manage sex offenders.In addition, we are investing £13.1m for a new National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection to transform the police response across England and Wales and help deliver our commitment for strengthened specialist VAWG training, ensuring consistent protection for victims and that perpetrators are relentlessly pursued.We have also made several commitments to transform the criminal justice response to sexual offences. This includes rolling out, later this year, free, independent legal advisers for victims of adult rape to help uphold their legal rights, and fast-tracking rape cases.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce garage burglaries in Surrey Heath constituency.

Through our Safer Streets Mission, we are determined to crack down on burglary and other crimes that make people feel unsafe in our communities.In 2024/25, the Home Office funded the Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (PCPI) to provide a burglary prevention course for police officers to improve understanding about home security. The course helps inform the advice and guidance police forces across England and Wales provide to members of the public.More broadly, the Government is delivering on our commitment to strengthen neighbourhood policing. Through our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, there will be 13,000 additional police officers and police community support officers in neighbourhood policing roles by the end of the Parliament, with each neighbourhood having named, contactable officers dealing with local issues by July of this year.As set out in the final Police Funding Settlement, published on 30 January, overall funding for policing will total up to £19.6 billion in 2025-26, an increase of up to £1.1 billion when compared to the 2024-25 settlement. This includes £200 million for neighbourhood policing. Surrey Police will receive up to £328.3 million in funding in 2025-26, an increase of up to £19.7 million when compared to the 2024-5 police settlement equating to a 6.4% cash increase.

What discussions she has had with police forces on improving (a) public guidance and (b) awareness around (i) garage security and (ii) burglary prevention in Surrey.

Through our Safer Streets Mission, we are determined to crack down on burglary and other crimes that make people feel unsafe in our communities.In 2024/25, the Home Office funded the Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (PCPI) to provide a burglary prevention course for police officers to improve understanding about home security. The course helps inform the advice and guidance police forces across England and Wales provide to members of the public.More broadly, the Government is delivering on our commitment to strengthen neighbourhood policing. Through our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, there will be 13,000 additional police officers and police community support officers in neighbourhood policing roles by the end of the Parliament, with each neighbourhood having named, contactable officers dealing with local issues by July of this year.As set out in the final Police Funding Settlement, published on 30 January, overall funding for policing will total up to £19.6 billion in 2025-26, an increase of up to £1.1 billion when compared to the 2024-25 settlement. This includes £200 million for neighbourhood policing. Surrey Police will receive up to £328.3 million in funding in 2025-26, an increase of up to £19.7 million when compared to the 2024-5 police settlement equating to a 6.4% cash increase.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of support available to staff in asylum accommodation who experience harassment in Surrey.

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders.

What recent discussions her Department has had with police forces on safeguarding asylum accommodation in Surrey.

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders.

What steps her Department is taking to prevent unauthorised activity around asylum accommodation sites in Surrey.

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the public safety risk around asylum hotels.

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders.