Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to create an aggravated offence of attacking shopkeepers who refuse to sell a corrosive substance or sharp weapon.

We have no current plans to introduce a specific offence relating to attacks on shopkeepers who refuse to sell a corrosive substance or sharp weapon. Violence is unacceptable wherever it takes place, and violence or abuse against retail staff should not be tolerated in any circumstances. There are number of existing serious offences which are already available to deal with attacks or threats to shopkeepers, and it is open to the courts to take account of any aggravating factors when passing sentence.

More generally, we are working with the retail sector and the police, through the National Retail Crime Steering Group, to explore what more can be done to tackle violence and abuse against retail staff.