Written questions by Morris.

Whether the document entitled Government’s Principles of Engagement, published on 14 March 2024, remains active; and whether those principles should guide engagement with stakeholders and the public during government consultations.

The Government Principles of Engagement was published under the 2022 to 2024 Conservative government. Responsibility for decisions and due diligence around who departments engage with sits with those departments and the appropriate policy areas.It is for individual government departments to decide to use these principles, or their own due diligence processes around engagement.

What conversations the Department is having with relevant stakeholders in the Hexham constituency regarding steps to reduce farm theft in rural areas.

Rural crime can have devastating consequences for countryside communities and the agricultural sector. Through our Safer Streets Mission, we are protecting rural communities, with tougher measures to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, strengthened neighbourhood policing and stronger measures to prevent farm theft and fly-tipping.Our engagement with rural areas is through the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) which is why we are working closely with them to deliver the Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy. This joined up approach between government and policing will help ensure we are tackling rural crimes such as the theft of high value farm equipment and livestock.Rural communities will also benefit from more local visible policing through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, with more officers helping to tackle crimes like anti-social behaviour and county lines which can have a devastating impact on rural life. Under the Guarantee, each community, including rural communities, will have a named, contactable officer to turn to.The Crime and Policing Bill will introduce a new power for the police to enter and search premises to which items have been electronically tracked by GPS or other means, where the items are reasonably believed to have been stolen and are on those premises, and where it has not been reasonably practicable to obtain a warrant from a court. This will provide a valuable tool for police in tackling stolen equipment and machinery.We are also committed to implementing the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 and fully support its aims to tackle the theft and resale of ATVs, quad bikes and GPS systems. We will bring the necessary secondary legislation when parliamentary time allows.This financial year the Home Office has provided the first Government funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit (£365,000) as well as continuing funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit (£450,000). The National Rural Crime Unit assists all police forces, including Northumbria, in tackling rural crime.

What conversations the Department is having with relevant stakeholders in the North East regarding steps to reduce farm theft in rural areas.

Rural crime can have devastating consequences for countryside communities and the agricultural sector. Through our Safer Streets Mission, we are protecting rural communities, with tougher measures to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, strengthened neighbourhood policing and stronger measures to prevent farm theft and fly-tipping.Our engagement with rural areas is through the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) which is why we are working closely with them to deliver the Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy. This joined up approach between government and policing will help ensure we are tackling rural crimes such as the theft of high value farm equipment and livestock.Rural communities will also benefit from more local visible policing through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, with more officers helping to tackle crimes like anti-social behaviour and county lines which can have a devastating impact on rural life. Under the Guarantee, each community, including rural communities, will have a named, contactable officer to turn to.The Crime and Policing Bill will introduce a new power for the police to enter and search premises to which items have been electronically tracked by GPS or other means, where the items are reasonably believed to have been stolen and are on those premises, and where it has not been reasonably practicable to obtain a warrant from a court. This will provide a valuable tool for police in tackling stolen equipment and machinery.We are also committed to implementing the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 and fully support its aims to tackle the theft and resale of ATVs, quad bikes and GPS systems. We will bring the necessary secondary legislation when parliamentary time allows.This financial year the Home Office has provided the first Government funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit (£365,000) as well as continuing funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit (£450,000). The National Rural Crime Unit assists all police forces, including Northumbria, in tackling rural crime.

What data the Department holds on the theft of agricultural equipment in the last (i) 5 years, (ii) 10 years in (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland, (c) Newcastle, (d) the North East and (e) England.

The Home Office does not routinely collect data on the items stolen in theft offences which are reported to the police.

What conversations the Department is having with relevant stakeholders in Northumberland regarding steps to reduce farm theft in rural areas.

Rural crime can have devastating consequences for countryside communities and the agricultural sector. Through our Safer Streets Mission, we are protecting rural communities, with tougher measures to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, strengthened neighbourhood policing and stronger measures to prevent farm theft and fly-tipping.Our engagement with rural areas is through the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) which is why we are working closely with them to deliver the Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy. This joined up approach between government and policing will help ensure we are tackling rural crimes such as the theft of high value farm equipment and livestock.Rural communities will also benefit from more local visible policing through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, with more officers helping to tackle crimes like anti-social behaviour and county lines which can have a devastating impact on rural life. Under the Guarantee, each community, including rural communities, will have a named, contactable officer to turn to.The Crime and Policing Bill will introduce a new power for the police to enter and search premises to which items have been electronically tracked by GPS or other means, where the items are reasonably believed to have been stolen and are on those premises, and where it has not been reasonably practicable to obtain a warrant from a court. This will provide a valuable tool for police in tackling stolen equipment and machinery.We are also committed to implementing the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 and fully support its aims to tackle the theft and resale of ATVs, quad bikes and GPS systems. We will bring the necessary secondary legislation when parliamentary time allows.This financial year the Home Office has provided the first Government funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit (£365,000) as well as continuing funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit (£450,000). The National Rural Crime Unit assists all police forces, including Northumbria, in tackling rural crime.

What conversations the Department is having with relevant stakeholders in the Hexham constituency regarding steps to reduce rural crime.

Rural crime can have devastating consequences for countryside communities and the agricultural sector. Through our Safer Streets Mission, we are protecting rural communities, with tougher measures to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, strengthened neighbourhood policing and stronger measures to prevent farm theft and fly-tipping.Our engagement with rural areas is through the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) which is why we are working closely with them to deliver the Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy. This joined up approach between government and policing will help ensure we are tackling rural crimes such as the theft of high value farm equipment and livestock.Rural communities will also benefit from more local visible policing through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, with more officers helping to tackle crimes like anti-social behaviour and county lines which can have a devastating impact on rural life. Under the Guarantee, each community, including rural communities, will have a named, contactable officer to turn to.The Crime and Policing Bill will introduce a new power for the police to enter and search premises to which items have been electronically tracked by GPS or other means, where the items are reasonably believed to have been stolen and are on those premises, and where it has not been reasonably practicable to obtain a warrant from a court. This will provide a valuable tool for police in tackling stolen equipment and machinery.We are also committed to implementing the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 and fully support its aims to tackle the theft and resale of ATVs, quad bikes and GPS systems. We will bring the necessary secondary legislation when parliamentary time allows.This financial year the Home Office has provided the first Government funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit (£365,000) as well as continuing funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit (£450,000). The National Rural Crime Unit assists all police forces, including Northumbria, in tackling rural crime.

What conversations the Department is having with relevant stakeholders in Northumberland regarding steps to reduce rural crime.

Rural crime can have devastating consequences for countryside communities and the agricultural sector. Through our Safer Streets Mission, we are protecting rural communities, with tougher measures to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, strengthened neighbourhood policing and stronger measures to prevent farm theft and fly-tipping.Our engagement with rural areas is through the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) which is why we are working closely with them to deliver the Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy. This joined up approach between government and policing will help ensure we are tackling rural crimes such as the theft of high value farm equipment and livestock.Rural communities will also benefit from more local visible policing through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, with more officers helping to tackle crimes like anti-social behaviour and county lines which can have a devastating impact on rural life. Under the Guarantee, each community, including rural communities, will have a named, contactable officer to turn to.The Crime and Policing Bill will introduce a new power for the police to enter and search premises to which items have been electronically tracked by GPS or other means, where the items are reasonably believed to have been stolen and are on those premises, and where it has not been reasonably practicable to obtain a warrant from a court. This will provide a valuable tool for police in tackling stolen equipment and machinery.We are also committed to implementing the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 and fully support its aims to tackle the theft and resale of ATVs, quad bikes and GPS systems. We will bring the necessary secondary legislation when parliamentary time allows.This financial year the Home Office has provided the first Government funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit (£365,000) as well as continuing funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit (£450,000). The National Rural Crime Unit assists all police forces, including Northumbria, in tackling rural crime.

What conversations the Department is having with relevant stakeholders in the North East regarding steps to reduce rural crime.

Rural crime can have devastating consequences for countryside communities and the agricultural sector. Through our Safer Streets Mission, we are protecting rural communities, with tougher measures to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, strengthened neighbourhood policing and stronger measures to prevent farm theft and fly-tipping.Our engagement with rural areas is through the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) which is why we are working closely with them to deliver the Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy. This joined up approach between government and policing will help ensure we are tackling rural crimes such as the theft of high value farm equipment and livestock.Rural communities will also benefit from more local visible policing through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, with more officers helping to tackle crimes like anti-social behaviour and county lines which can have a devastating impact on rural life. Under the Guarantee, each community, including rural communities, will have a named, contactable officer to turn to.The Crime and Policing Bill will introduce a new power for the police to enter and search premises to which items have been electronically tracked by GPS or other means, where the items are reasonably believed to have been stolen and are on those premises, and where it has not been reasonably practicable to obtain a warrant from a court. This will provide a valuable tool for police in tackling stolen equipment and machinery.We are also committed to implementing the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 and fully support its aims to tackle the theft and resale of ATVs, quad bikes and GPS systems. We will bring the necessary secondary legislation when parliamentary time allows.This financial year the Home Office has provided the first Government funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit (£365,000) as well as continuing funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit (£450,000). The National Rural Crime Unit assists all police forces, including Northumbria, in tackling rural crime.

What discussion her Department has had with relevant stakeholders in the North East on legislative changes to recognise that under 16s can be victims of domestic abuse.

Teenage relationship abuse can have devastating consequences, and we must never shy away from the reality of the harm it causes.We are carrying out a scoping review of the legal framework for domestic abuse, which includes reviewing whether the age limit in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 should be changed to capture adolescent relationships. Alongside this, we are considering every option to tackle abuse in teenage relationships, including prevention and support for victims.We have greatly appreciated the support and engagement of a wide range of stakeholders nationally, including in the North East, as we take forward the important work to tackle this harm which affects too many young people.The upcoming VAWG Strategy will have more detail on the steps we are taking to respond to teenage relationship abuse.The Minister has met with campaigners on this subject in the Hon. Friend’s constituency of Hexham.

What discussions her Department has had with relevant stakeholders in Hexham constituency on legislative changes to recognise that under 16s can be victims of domestic abuse.

Teenage relationship abuse can have devastating consequences, and we must never shy away from the reality of the harm it causes.We are carrying out a scoping review of the legal framework for domestic abuse, which includes reviewing whether the age limit in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 should be changed to capture adolescent relationships. Alongside this, we are considering every option to tackle abuse in teenage relationships, including prevention and support for victims.We have greatly appreciated the support and engagement of a wide range of stakeholders nationally, including in the North East, as we take forward the important work to tackle this harm which affects too many young people.The upcoming VAWG Strategy will have more detail on the steps we are taking to respond to teenage relationship abuse.The Minister has met with campaigners on this subject in the Hon. Friend’s constituency of Hexham.

What discussions her Department has had with relevant stakeholders in Northumberland on legislative changes to recognise that under 16s can be victims of domestic abuse.

Teenage relationship abuse can have devastating consequences, and we must never shy away from the reality of the harm it causes.We are carrying out a scoping review of the legal framework for domestic abuse, which includes reviewing whether the age limit in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 should be changed to capture adolescent relationships. Alongside this, we are considering every option to tackle abuse in teenage relationships, including prevention and support for victims.We have greatly appreciated the support and engagement of a wide range of stakeholders nationally, including in the North East, as we take forward the important work to tackle this harm which affects too many young people.The upcoming VAWG Strategy will have more detail on the steps we are taking to respond to teenage relationship abuse.The Minister has met with campaigners on this subject in the Hon. Friend’s constituency of Hexham.

What data her Department holds on the number of reported incidents of violence against women and girls against under 16 year- olds in (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland, (c) Newcastle, (d) the North East, and (e) England.

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) covers a range of crimes, including rape and other sexual offences, stalking, harassment, domestic abuse related offences, and many others that disproportionately affect women and girls.It is important to note that VAWG is often a hidden crime. The figures provided below only reflect offences that come to the attention of the police and therefore do not represent the full extent of victimisation. For example, the ONS estimates that only 6.1% of victims of sexual assault (including attempts) in the year ending March 2025 told the police about the offence.Table 1 below provides the requested breakdown of VAWG offences, where held, recorded by the police using several offence classifications which are listed in Table 2.Data is available for Police Force Area (PFA) and Community Safety Partnership (CSP) Area geographies, which includesNorthumberland CSP AreaNewcastle upon Tyne CSP AreaThe North East region (made up of Northumbria, Durham, and Cleveland PFAs)England as a wholeInformation is not held centrally broken down by parliamentary constituencies.Table 1: Total offences across all VAWG offence classifications where the victim was under 16 years old, by geography, year ending June 2025 GeographyTotal VAWG offences against under 16-year-oldsRate per 1,000 under 16 population (mid-2024 estimate)Northumberland CSP68313.2Newcastle upon Tyne CSP5419.9North East5,93212.4England (excl. 4 PFAs)85,3458.8Source: Police recorded crime from the Home Office and ONS population estimatesNotes:Victim age data was not available in the Home Office Data Hub (HODH) for the following four forces and have been excluded from the England figures: Derbyshire, Greater Manchester, Humberside, Lincolnshire.Table 2: VAWG offence classifications used in analysisRape offences:19C Rape of a Female aged 16 and over19D Rape of a Female Child under 1619E Rape of a Female Child under 1319F Rape of a Male aged 16 and over19G Rape of a Male Child under 1619H Rape of a Male Child under 1319J Rape of a female - multiple undefined offenders19K Rape of a male - multiple undefined offendersOther sexual offences:17A Sexual Assault on a Male aged 13 and over17B Sexual Assault on a Male Child under 1320A Sexual Assault on a Female aged 13 or over20B Sexual Assault on a Female Child under 1321 Sexual Activity involving a Child under 1322A Causing Sexual Activity without Consent22B Sexual Activity involving a Child under 1623 Incest or Familial Sexual Offences70 Sexual Activity etc. with a Person with a Mental Disorder71 Abuse of Children through Sexual Exploitation73 Abuse of Position of Trust of a Sexual Nature88A Sexual Grooming88C Other Miscellaneous Sexual Offences88D Unnatural Sexual Offences88E Exposure and VoyeurismStalking and harassment:8L Harassment8Q Stalking8U Controlling or coercive behaviourMiscellaneous crimes:24 Exploitation of prostitution27 Soliciting for the purpose of prostitutionViolence against the person offences:36 Kidnapping and False Imprisonment: subcode 036/05 Forced Marriage8N Assault with injury: subcode 008/52 Excise, infibulate, aid, abet, counsel8N Assault with injury: subcode 008/68 Fail to protect girl from risk of genital mutilationNote:As well as the above specific offences classifications, VAWG also encompasses non-specific offences which have been flagged as VAWG-related. These include:Domestic abuse flagged offencesDomestic homicides‘Honour-based’ abuse (HBA) flagged offencesHowever, the definition of domestic abuse in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 requires both the victim and perpetrator are aged 16 years or above and so data on child victims are not included in the data provided.Forces are only required to submit aggregate level data on ‘honour-based’ abuse flagged offences, so information on victim ages are not available for all offences. However, any ‘honour-based’ abuse flagged offence recorded under the VAWG offence classifications in Table 2 (such as Forced Marriage) will already be captured in the figures provided.

What assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of suicide prevention training for staff working in police custody suites in the North East.

The Government is committed to preventing deaths in or following police custody, including suicides both in custody and following release.The College of Policing sets the professional standards for police in England and Wales. The College’s 'Vulnerability in Custody' training package, launched in 2022, seeks to improve the consistency and quality of custody training, focusing on identifying vulnerability and managing risk.In addition, the initial training for officers under the Policing Education Qualifications Framework teaches officers to assess vulnerability and amend their approach as required, incorporating autism, learning disabilities and mental health.Policing is operationally independent, and it is a matter for the chief constables of each force to decide which additional training their officers should undertake.The Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody, in co-operation with the National Police Chief’s Council and College of Policing have recently produced guidance on preventing suicides in and following police custody. Chief Constables, custody officers and other policing leaders should carefully consider this guidance and implement its recommendations where appropriate.

How many police stations have closed in (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland, (c) Newcastle and (d) the North East since May 2010.

The Home Office does not collect data on the number of police stations or public front counters in use across all police forces, nor the number of closures. Decisions regarding the management of local police resourcing and estates is a matter for Chief Constables and directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners (or equivalents). They are best placed to make these decisions based on their knowledge of local need, experience, and in line with their existing budget.A key part of the Government’s Safer Streets Mission is focused on restoring neighbourhood policing, and rebuilding trust and confidence in policing, The commitments set out in the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee are now making a considerable difference to the service communities receive from their neighbourhood policing teams.We have also provided £200 million in FY 2025/26 to support the first steps of delivering 13,000 more neighbourhood policing personnel across England and Wales by the end of the Parliament. This increase in neighbourhood policing, alongside the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, will strengthen the connections between the police and the communities they serve.

What recent discussions her Department has had with relevant stakeholders on anti-violence education programmes in (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland, (c) Newcastle, (d) the North East and (e) England.

Halving knife crime over the next decade is a central priority for this Government. Reducing youth-related violence, including in the North East of England, will be critical to achieving this goal.Home Office officials hold monthly discussions with the Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) on delivery of early intervention and prevention programmes, including anti-violence education.For 2025/26, Northumbria VRU has been allocated £2,140,937, including funding for a range of interventions. These include educational programmes for professionals to raise awareness of the impact of knife crime; active bystander training; and mentoring initiatives and sports programmes to provide positive engagement and help to steer young people away from violence.The Home Office also engages regularly with a wider network of Violence Reduction Units and Serious Violence Duty partnerships in England to discuss their progress in embedding a public health approach to violence prevention.The Home Office also meets regularly with Department for Education colleagues to discuss the inclusion of related issues in the curriculum.As part of the updated Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) curriculum, primary school pupils will learn how to manage relationship challenges and seek help when concerned about violence. At secondary level, the focus will be on developing social and emotional skills to avoid conflict, understanding the law on knives and violence, and knowing which trusted adults to approach.

What the total number of firearms certificate holders is, what the percentage of licensing applications completed within four months is; and how many temporary permits were issued by the firearms licensing department of Northumbria Constabulary, last notified to her department.

As at 31 March 2024, there were a total of 643,162 firearms certificates on issue in England and Wales. This was made up of 147,364 firearms certificates and 495,798 shotgun certificates on issue respectively. The issuing of firearms certificates and the efficiency of police forces is a matter for individual Chief Officers of Police and they are held to account by Police and Crime Commissioners. However, the performance of forces is actively being monitored by the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for firearms licensing, Deputy Chief Constable David Gardner, and he is developing a new performance framework for firearms licensing teams, which it is intended will be published soon, to provide greater transparency on application turnaround times.

What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology on tackling violence against women and girls using the Online Safety Act 2023.

Tackling VAWG in all of its forms, including when it takes place online, is a top priority for this Government, and that's why we have set out an unprecedented mission to halve VAWG within a decade.The misuse of technology to abuse or harm others (including online) has a disproportionate impact on women and children and we know this is a significant and growing issue in the UK and worldwide.We will go further than before to deliver a cross-Government transformative approach to halve all forms of violence against women and girls, underpinned by a new VAWG strategy to be published next year. In January 2025, the Government introduced new legislation which will make creating sexually explicit 'deepfake' images a criminal offence.The Online Safety Act designates material relating to child sexual exploitation and abuse as a priority offence. Platforms must put in place systems and processes to minimise and remove this content. The Illegal Harms Codes, laid before Parliament in December and coming into force from 17 March this year, sets out the steps companies must take to meet their duties under the Act to tackle this content."I regularly meet with Baroness Jones of Whitchurch, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to discuss these matters.My officials also engage regularly with DSIT and the Ministry of Justice to identify the most appropriate legislative vehicles to tackle technology-facilitated VAWG.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that fire and rescue services are equipped to manage large-scale farm fires effectively.

It is the responsibility of Fire and Rescue Authorities to set local priorities based on their Community Risk Management Plans to ensure that Fire and Rescue Services have the appropriate equipment and training needed to safely respond to the wide range of incidents which they attend.