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Written question asked by Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour) on Friday, 28 August 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 2 September 2026. It was answered by Sarah Jones (Labour) on Thursday, 3 September 2026 on behalf of the Home Office.

Spiking: Crime Prevention

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to assess the prevalence of chemical submission offences in England and Wales.

Answer

To improve understanding of the prevalence and motivations behind these offences, spiking has been added to the Annual Data Requirement, through which the Home Office collects police data from forces in England and Wales. Returns will be analysed using the National Data Quality Improvement Service to provide more robust and insightful data on the subject.

The Home Office has also commissioned the University of Birmingham to research the motivations of spiking perpetrators, providing important first-hand insights into the range of factors that drive this offending.

This is in addition to a range of other work the Government is undertaking to combat all forms of spiking, including the introduction of new legislation as part of the Crime and Policing Act 2026.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
21360
Session
2026-27
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Crime prevention Spiking
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk