Written questions by Young.

What steps she is taking to help improve community policing.

In December the Prime Minister set out his Plan for Change, including the delivery of a Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. That means putting bobbies back on the beat in every corner of the country and ensuring that people have a named, contactable officer to turn to when things go wrong. In January’s Police Settlement we announced £200 million of funding to kickstart the increase of 13,000 neighbourhood officers and PCSOs and we are currently finalising the figures with individual forces for year 1.

If she will take steps to improve the effectiveness of data collection from mobile phones by the police in relation to crime.

The Digital Forensics Programme (DFP) scopes, develops and delivers innovative solutions to ensure policing can use high quality technology to tackle the rising volumes of digital forensics work, including forensic examinations of mobile phones, more efficiently.We have allocated up to £13m to forensics in 2024/25 to help forces access, develop, and deliver more integrated, sustainable and efficient forensic services, improve various aspects of the investigatory process, speed up the time it takes the police to analyse data, including data from mobile phones, and enhance the victim experience.The Government intends to consult on a new National Centre of Policing to bring together crucial support services, including forensics, that local police forces can draw upon, to raise standards, and improve efficiency.

What steps her Department is taking with the Ministry of Justice to (a) reduce court delays and (b) ensure timely hearings.

The Home Office recognises the significant delays in the courts system and the impact that this has on victims. The Home Office works closely with the Ministry of Justice and other criminal justice partners to deliver improvements and build a criminal justice system the public can have confidence in.The Ministry of Justice has overall responsibility for the courts, but we will continue to work collaboratively to support the Ministry of Justice in ensuring that justice can be delivered in a timely manner for all involved.

If she will review the funding formula for police forces to ensure that it is proportionate to (a) population and (b) demand.

The government will consider police funding, including the allocation of funding to forces including, in the round as part of phase 2 of the Spending Review.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship.

This Government is committed to ensuring there are consistent, high standards for entry into the police and that police training is of the highest quality. Maintaining professional standards in policing is key to ensuring the workforce is equipped to respond to the crime challenges they face daily as well as improving public trust and confidence.The College of Policing regularly reviews the national policing curriculum for new recruits, to ensure that it is delivering for both policing and for recruits. This applies to all entry routes including the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship.The College is currently working with the policing sector and other partners to ensure that all police constable entry routes are as effective as they can be, to improve the experience of forces and participants and to enable streamlined, practical training with reduced cost to forces.