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Ministry of Defence Police: Police Pursuits

Asked by Ben Obese-JectyConservativeMinistry of DefenceTabled Answered 7 September 2026UIN 22856

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the operational benefits of introducing a pursuit policy for the Ministry of Defence Police.

Answered by Ministry of Defence

Police pursuit policies are strictly regulated to balance the need to apprehend offenders against the safety of the public and officers. The Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) works closely with, and where necessary are reliably supported by, other police forces who have the capability and training to effectively manage a number of operational risks, including that of pursuit.

MDP assess that there is no operational requirement for a pursuit capability and the absence of a pursuit policy does not affect the force's ability to fulfil its policing responsibilities, as set out in the Statement of Requirement.

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