Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether protections against assaults for retail workers in the Crime and Policing Bill will apply to public transport workers involved in the retail of (a) refreshments and (b) rail products and tickets.

Assaults against retail workers will be covered by a new offence which we are introducing via the Crime and Policing Bill. Our definition of retail worker captures someone working in or about retail premises for or on behalf of the owner or occupier of the retail premises.

Our definition is intentionally narrow, and does not include hospitality or transport staff, given the vital need to provide legal clarity and ensure there is no ambiguity for courts in identifying whether an individual is a retail worker and impacted during their job. Any ambiguity in identifying whether an individual is a retail worker, will likely lead the courts to take the case forward as common assault meaning specific recording attributed to a retail worker would not occur.