Written questions by Newbury.

What recent progress her Department has made on increasing international cooperation to help tackle organised immigration crime.

This government has strengthened co-operation on organised immigration crime with countries near and far – forging new and deeper partnerships through action such as our landmark border security statement with Iraq.Deals have been struck that no other government thought possible, including the returns deal with France and new agreements with Germany to stop the warehousing of small boats by criminal gangs.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of mandating blunt-tipped kitchen knives for domestic use on rates of knife crime.

The Government’s mission to halve knife crime over a decade will be delivered through tougher enforcement and stronger prevention. However, we have been clear nothing is off the table when it comes to getting lethal blades off our streets and keeping people safe. We are actively exploring options and pursuing changes in this area, and I will be meeting with retailers and manufacturers to develop next steps on the promotion of rounded tipped knives.

What proportion of vehicles rented by her Department are electric vehicles.

This information is not centrally collected, and could only be obtained for the purposes of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of rural crime on (a) agricultural businesses and (b) Staffordshire Police.

This Government is committed to reducing crime and disorder in rural areas, given the devastating impact rural crime can have on communities and businesses. Under our reforms, rural communities will be safeguarded, with tougher measures to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, strengthened neighbourhood policing and stronger measures to prevent farm theft and fly-tipping.In Staffordshire and other areas, the National Rural Crime Unit provides support to police forces in their responses to rural crime, such as the theft of farming or construction machinery, livestock theft, rural fly tipping, rural fuel theft and equine crime.The unit aims to help police forces tackle rural crime priorities through the provision of specialist operational support, as well as through sharing best practice and encouraging regional and national approaches to tackling rural crime. The NRCU also helps police forces across the country tackle organised theft and disrupt organised crime groups.

Whether her Department has issued guidance to (a) police forces and (b) Police and Crime Commissioners on the powers granted to (i) Police Community Support Officers and (ii) special constables.

Under Section 38 of the Police Reform Act 2002 as amended by the Policing and Crime Act 2017, chief officers can designate certain powers to any person who is employed by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and is under the direction and control of that chief officer as a Police Community Support Officer. This excludes the most intrusive powers that are available to police officers, such as arrest and stop and search, and powers under the Terrorism Act 2000.Special Constables are warranted police officers and have the same powers as any other constable.The Department has not issued guidance to forces or PCCs on these powers. The College of Policing has issued guidance for PCCs, police forces, and anyone else looking to better understand the PSCO role. This is available online PCSO handbook | College of Policing

What steps she is taking to increase the number of special constables in (a) Staffordshire and (b) England.

The Government recognises and values the professionalism, dedication and sacrifice shown by special constables in their work. Special constables, along with the full range of volunteers in policing, make a vital contribution to keeping our communities safe.Data published by the Home Office in the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin shows the number of special constables (headcount) in England has declined by 70% since a peak of 19,619 in March 2012 down to 5,860 in March 2024. In Staffordshire Police the number of special constables has declined by 74% from a peak of 512 in March 2012 down to 132 in March 2024.The Home Secretary has made a clear commitment to strengthen neighbourhood policing through the introduction of a Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. The Guarantee will put thousands of additional neighbourhood police personnel back on the beat, including special constables, as part of the Government’s Safer Streets mission.

What recent progress her Department has made on recruiting police officers and police community support officers.

This Government is committed to strengthening neighbourhood policing as part of our Safer Streets Mission, putting neighbourhood police officers and community support officers back on the beat in every part of the country.We are currently working closely with policing to design our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, which will involve guaranteed local patrols and new tools for the police to crack down on the crimes blighting communities, including shoplifting and antisocial behaviour.