Retail Trade: Crimes of Violence

(asked on 17th November 2021) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to bring forward legislative proposals for harsher penalties for the assault of retail workers.


Answered by
Kit Malthouse Portrait
Kit Malthouse
This question was answered on 25th November 2021

The Government response to the Call for Evidence on Violence and Abuse Towards Shop Staff, published in 2020, sets out the Government’s programme of work to tackle violence and abuse in retail settings.

The Home Office is working closely with policing representatives via the National Retail Crime Steering Group (NRCSG) to help reduce assaults, make it easier for employers to report crimes and support employees who are victims of these crimes. The police-led National Business Crime Centre (NBCC) and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) are closely involved in the work of the NRCSG.

On 5 July at the Commons Report debate of the Police Crime Sentencing and Courts Bill, the then Minister for Safeguarding Victoria Atkins MP committed to actively considering an amendment in the Lords if appropriate. The Home Office Minister Baroness Williams repeated this commitment in the Lords Committee debate on 17 November.

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