Written questions by Taylor.

If she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of comments made by Sir Mark Rowley to the London Policing Board on 10 December 2024 in relation to (a) funding and (b) potential job losses in the Metropolitan Police.

The Provisional Police Funding Settlement was published on 17 December. This settlement provides £19.5 billion of funding for 2025-26 which is an increase of up to £1 billion. For the Metropolitan Police, this means funding of up to £3.8 billion in funding in 2025-26, an increase of up to £226.9 million when compared to the 2024-25 police settlement.We will continue to work closely with the force to ensure that they have the resources they need.

What steps her Department is taking to tackle car thefts in Sutton and Cheam constituency.

This Government is determined to drive down vehicle crime and we are working with the automotive industry and law enforcement to ensure our response is as strong as it can be.We continue to work closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for vehicle crime, through the National Vehicle Crime Working Group, to take forward a programme of work, focusing on prevention and deterrence of theft of and from vehicles.This government is committed to bringing forward legislation to ban electronic devices used to steal vehicles, empowering the police and courts to target the criminals using, manufacturing and supplying them.

What steps she is taking with the Metropolitan Police to deploy educational awareness campaigns aimed at reducing youth-related knife crime in London.

Halving knife crime over the next decade is a key part of the Government’s Safer Streets mission. We are taking a range of steps to realise this ambition. For example, we have banned Zombie style knives and zombie style machetes and are currently consulting on a ban of ninja swords. We are also creating a new Young Futures programme - intervening earlier to stop young people being drawn into crime. It is vital we have a system that can identify and support those young people who need it most.The Home Office funds the London Violence Reduction Unit, a multiagency partnership which includes the Metropolitan Police, to understand and tackle the drivers of serious violence. London VRU supports delivery of a range of youth initiatives across London boroughs which raise awareness of the impact of knife crime, for example the Choices Weapons Awareness Programme, delivered across Camden secondary schools to increase understanding of the consequences of knife crime on families affected and deter knife-carrying.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce youth-related gang violence in London.

To deliver our pledge to halve knife crime in the next decade, it is crucial that we tackle the gangs that lure children and young people into crime and run county lines through violence and exploitation.An estimated 14,000 children are identified as at risk or involved in child criminal exploitation. That is why this Government’s manifesto included a commitment to introduce a new offence of criminal exploitation of children, which we will bring forward as part of the Crime and Policing Bill.County Lines is the most violent model of drug supply and a harmful form of child criminal exploitation. Through the County Lines Programme, which includes funding for dedicated County Lines Taskforce in the Metropolitan Police, we will continue to target exploitative drug dealing gangs and break the organised crime groups behind the trade.The Government has also committed to the creation of a new Young Futures Programme (YFP), which will establish a network of Young Futures Hubs and Young Futures Prevention Partnerships, to intervene earlier to ensure this cohort is identified and offered support in a more systematic way, as well as creating more opportunities for young people in their communities, through the provision of open access to mental health and careers support.

What steps she is taking to improve support to victims of stalking.

This Government is fully committed to tackling stalking as part of our ambition to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.Achieving this will require a dramatic improvement in the policing and criminal justice response to these crimes, including stalking. improving the police and wider criminal justice response and sustained support for victims.To start that work, we have committed to giving women the right to know the identity of online stalkers and to strengthening the use of Stalking Protection Orders, and will set out further action on stalking in the coming weeks.In addition, to help ensure support for victims, the Home Office part-funds the National Stalking Helpline, run by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust.

What steps she is taking to ensure police officers are more able to (a) identify and (b) respond to stalking crimes.

This Government is fully committed to tackling stalking as part of our ambition to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.Achieving this will require a dramatic improvement in the policing and criminal justice response to these crimes, including stalking. improving the police and wider criminal justice response and sustained support for victims.To start that work, we have committed to giving women the right to know the identity of online stalkers and to strengthening the use of Stalking Protection Orders, and will set out further action on stalking in the coming weeks.In addition, to help ensure support for victims, the Home Office part-funds the National Stalking Helpline, run by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust.

What steps she is taking to help tackle (a) moped and (b) illegal e-bike related crimes.

This government is determined to crack down on snatch theft and other crimes, including those facilitated by mopeds and e-bikes, that make people feel unsafe in our communities.We are committed to strengthening neighbourhood policing, recruiting and putting thousands of additional officers back on the beast to provide a visible presence in our communities, and tackle all forms of street crime.Tackling the market for stolen goods and making these crimes less attractive to commit in the first place, is a key part of our approach. As announced last month, the Home Office is engaging with tech companies to see what more can be done to break the business model of mobile phone thieves.The police may, when appropriate, pursue mopeds and e-bikes, and may employ tactical options to bring the vehicle to a stop. The College of Policing Authorised Professional Practice (APP) on Roads Policing Police Pursuits provides guidance for police pursuits.