Home Office written question – answered at on 2 March 2026.
Stuart Anderson
Conservative, South Shropshire
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to promote police visibility in rural areas.
Sarah Jones
The Minister of State, Home Department
The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee has named, contactable officers dedicated to addressing local issues in every neighbourhood, including rural areas.
Forces are ensuring neighbourhood policing teams spend the Majority of their time within the areas they serve, delivering visible patrols across communities and engaging directly with residents and businesses.
In addition, forces are increasing targeted patrols in local hotspots, based on demand and intelligence, to provide enhanced visibility and reassurance. This is supported by the commitment to deliver 13,000 additional neighbourhood policing personnel by the end of this Parliament, strengthening visible policing across England and Wales, including rural areas.
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Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
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