Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on levels of retail crime.

The Government recognises the damaging impact that retail crime can have on victims, businesses, and the wider community. Shops are the lifeblood of our communities and neighbourhoods, and it is important that businesses should be free to trade without fear of crime or disorder, particularly in these unprecedented times.

Following Government announcements on 23^rd March, much of the retail sector has closed outlets to customers and those that have remained open have implemented social distancing measures. Together these were expected to lead to a reduction in the level of retail crime. Provisional figures published by the NPCC have indicated that shoplifting reported to and recorded by the police has fallen by 54% in the 4 weeks ending 12^th April.

I am working closely with the police and industry to continue to monitor these types of incidents during this challenging period.