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Select Committee · Home Affairs Committee

Summer 2024 disorder

Status: Closed Opened: 12 Nov 2024 Closed: 9 Dec 2025 8 recommendations 13 conclusions 1 report

Disorder took place in several UK cities between 30 July and 7 August 2024, following the violent events in Southport on 29 July. The Government has reported that over 40,000 additional officer shifts were worked by public order officers over the course of ten days, with 6,600 officers deployed on one day alone. As of …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
2nd Report – Police response to the 2024 summer disorder HC 381 14 Apr 2025 21 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

4 items
2 Conclusion 2nd Report – Police response to the 202… Acknowledged

Inadequate contempt of court laws and CPS guidance fail social media era communication needs.

Merseyside Police were put in a very difficult position given legal restrictions on communicating the identity of the Southport suspect and the need to withhold certain information in order to protect the trial. The inconsistent advice from the CPS over the publication of information about the suspect’s religion was particularly …

Government response. The government states it is carefully considering recommendations from both the Inspectorate and the Committee, committing to publish a Police Reform White Paper that will outline its intentions to address findings, strengthen public order policing, and enhance the response to …
Home Office
9 Recommendation 2nd Report – Police response to the 202… Acknowledged

Set out government's plan to improve police mutual aid provision in response to HMICFRS.

As part of a formal response to the HMICFRS reports the Government should set out in particular how it is supporting forces to improve the provision of mutual aid, including how changes to the national policing system will support mutual aid. (Recommendation, Paragraph 35) National policing response

Government response. The government states that a forthcoming Home Office White Paper on police reform will cover various issues including how the policing system can work better. However, it does not specifically commit to setting out how it will support forces to …
Home Office
16 Conclusion 2nd Report – Police response to the 202… Acknowledged

Numerical recruitment targets for neighbourhood policing risk cheap hires and lack of experienced officers.

We commend the efforts of police forces to maintain business-as- usual policing, particularly the importance attached to maintaining neighbourhood policing. Nonetheless, the disorder and subsequent investigations have had a knock-on impact on other areas of policing, including neighbourhood policing. The Government’s focus on strengthening neighbourhood policing is welcome, as is …

Government response. The government outlines its neighbourhood policing programme for 2025/26, committing £376.8 million to maintain officer numbers and stating that workforce mix decisions are local but forces are expected to deliver suitably. It does not explicitly address the concern about ensuring …
Home Office
21 Conclusion 2nd Report – Police response to the 202…

No evidence of 'two-tier policing' suppressing peaceful protest last summer.

The right to protest is fundamental in our democracy and we would take seriously any evidence that peaceful protest was being suppressed based on the political views expressed. However, we have seen no evidence that this was the case during the summer. Far from being evidence of ‘two-tier policing’, the …

Home Office

Oral evidence sessions

2 sessions
Date Witnesses
25 Feb 2025 Andrew Johnson · Home Office, Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist · Metropolitan Police, Chief Constable BJ Harrington · National Police Chiefs' Council, Chief Constable Serena Kennedy · Merseyside Police, Emily Spurrell · Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, Rt Hon Dame Diana Johnson DBE MP · Home Office View ↗
10 Dec 2024 Chris Noble · Staffordshire Police, Judi Heaton · Humberside Police, Lauren Poultney · South Yorkshire Police, Mark Webster · Cleveland Police View ↗

Correspondence

3 letters
DateDirectionTitle
23 Apr 2025 To cttee Letter from the Director of Public Prosecutions relating to the Committee’s rep…
25 Feb 2025 To cttee Letter from the Crown Prosecution Service on the Process and guidance around pu…
25 Feb 2025 From cttee Letter to the Crown Proseution Service on the Process and guidance around publi…