22:29 The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Charles Hendry)

We take the issue very seriously. Through the security task force of the Energy Emergencies Executive, the Department of Energy and Climate Change and the electricity network operators meet regularly to discuss a range of security issues, and metal theft is a standing item on the agenda. The chair of the task force also represents the electricity sector at the Association of Chief Police Officers’ metal theft working group. Working with the Home Office, we have secured the inclusion of metal theft in its recently published organised crime strategy “Local to Global: reducing the risk from organised crime”, which shows that we share the hon. Gentleman’s view that organised crime is involved in this activity.

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