Member

Tackling this is hampered by the lack of a consistent national framework for recording or investigating freight crime, leaving major gaps in data and enforcement. This is all against the backdrop of the Government’s target to increase rail freight by 75% by 2050, a target set by my noble friend Lord Harper when he was Secretary of State for Transport, to which this Government remain committed. But that growth in the rail freight sector cannot materialise if the sector faces such high levels of theft. My amendment does not seek any new offences but would require the Home Secretary to establish a new freight crime code. The aim is to ensure that incidents of freight crime are properly recorded and investigated across the country. Among the issues with current data collection is the fact that freight theft is currently recorded as theft from a vehicle. This does not reflect the seriousness or the specific nature of freight crime. I look forward very much to what the Minister has to say in relation to this.