Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
2nd Report – Police response to the 2024 summer disorder
Home Affairs Committee
HC 381
Published 14 April 2025
Recommendations
11
Accepted
Set ambitious, long-term proposals for reforming the policing system and addressing crime.
Recommendation
Given the importance of the Government’s ambitions on crime and policing, including halving knife crime and halving Violence Against Women and Girls, and the significant challenges facing the policing system, we encourage the Government to be ambitious in setting out …
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Government Response Summary
The government states it has an unprecedented objective to halve VAWG in a decade, underpinned by a new Strategy and a White Paper on policing reform, demonstrating an ambitious, long-term approach. It also highlights £13.1 million funding for a National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection.
Home Office
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15
Accepted
Release funding to police forces to cover disorder costs incurred as soon as possible.
Recommendation
If it has not done so already the Government should release funding to cover costs incurred during the disorder as soon as possible. (Recommendation, Paragraph 51)
Government Response Summary
The government accepted the recommendation, confirming that the Home Secretary agreed to provide £28.3 million to cover additional policing costs during the disorder, which was paid in full in May 2025.
Home Office
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Conclusions (5)
1
Conclusion
Accepted
We received no evidence to dispute the characterisation of violent disorder between 30 July and 7 August 2024. Many events held during this period began as protests and remained as such. But while some instances of disorder may have originated as protests, they quickly degenerated into violence. In some cases …
Government Response Summary
The government details the CPS's specific actions to review and update the Media Protocol, including a public consultation launched in January 2025 and an intention to publish the revised guidance in autumn 2025, alongside supporting proposals for law reform on contempt.
4
Conclusion
Accepted
The levels of violence seen across the country last summer were the worst since 2011. Police officers worked tirelessly to respond to the disorder and it was only through their efforts that more serious injury and property damage was prevented. Nevertheless, in several cases it appears that police forces were …
Government Response Summary
The government states that the police have reviewed the national mobilisation plan, which now specifically describes a national public order gold role with explicit authority for national mobilisation numbers and strategy, and this plan has been agreed and circulated amongst forces. The government will reflect on these changes for the Police System Reform White Paper.
12
Conclusion
Accepted
Police officers worked for long hours in extremely difficult circumstances during disorder incidents, many of them suffering injury and other trauma. Those that were re-deployed but did not face significant disorder will still have experienced fatigue and an increased workload. Police forces did their best to ameliorate the impact on …
Government Response Summary
The Home Secretary has provided police forces in England and Wales with £28.3 million of funding to cover all of the additional costs of policing the disorder.
14
Conclusion
Accepted
The costs incurred by police forces during the course of the disorder look modest in the context of overall policing budgets, but these unexpected costs have nonetheless had a significant impact and are being disproportionately borne by certain forces. We welcome the Government’s earlier commitment to reimbursing forces through special …
Government Response Summary
The government confirms that £28.3 million in funding to cover the additional costs of policing the disorder was paid in full to police forces in May 2025, addressing the committee's concerns about delays.
20
Conclusion
Accepted
The joint working, supported by the Government, between the police and the criminal justice system was essential in bringing about swift justice to the perpetrators of the disorder. This helped to prevent further disorder. However, we agree with the Policing Minister that it is not right for other serious crimes …
Government Response Summary
The government outlines its actions to reduce Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), its policing reform and Joint Police Reform Team and states that effective policing requires collaboration, shared priorities, and targeted support.