Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of violence against retail workers; and what action they are taking to address any increase.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

According to the British Retail Consortium Crime Report 2026, there were around 590,000 incidents of violence and abuse in 2024-25, down 20% from 737,000 in 2023-24 but still higher than an estimated 475,000 in 2022-23.

The levels of violence and abuse towards retail workers are unacceptable. We are ensuring the right powers are in place to tackle this.

Through our Crime and Policing Bill, this Government has introduced a new specific standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker to help tackle the epidemic of shop theft and violence towards shop workers that we have seen in recent years and protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.

This bespoke offence will send a clear signal to perpetrators that assaults on retail workers are unacceptable and won’t go unpunished. It will also ensure that assaults on retail workers are separately recorded so that we know the true scale of the problem, enabling the police to respond accordingly.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect vulnerable people from turning to illegal moneylenders.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government recognises the serious harm that illegal money lenders can cause, particularly to vulnerable people. To help prevent people from turning to illegal money lenders, the Government funds specialist Illegal Money Lending Teams (IMLTs). These teams combine enforcement action against illegal lenders with prevention and victim support, including awareness-raising in communities, working with local partners to identify those at risk, and encouraging the safe reporting of illegal lenders. More information about the work of the IMLTs is available on the Stop Loan Sharks website.[1] The Government is also taking steps to ensure appropriate access to regulated credit through the Financial Inclusion Strategy.

[1] https://www.stoploansharks.co.uk/.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to conclude their workers-first review into HMRC-approved mileage allowance payment rate; and whether they plan to make changes to the rates ahead of the Budget.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

Approved Mileage Allowance Payments (AMAPs) are used by employers to reimburse an employee's expenses for business mileage in their private vehicle. These rates are also used by self-employed drivers to claim tax relief on business mileage (simplified motoring expenses) and can be used by organisations to reimburse volunteers who use their own vehicle for voluntary purposes.

Employees can claim up to 45p/mile for the first 10,000 miles annually, followed by 25p/mile thereafter. An additional 5p/mile can be claimed for each passenger transported.

The Government recognises that, while AMAP rates have not changed since 2011, the motoring landscape has evolved significantly and it is an important issue for many people who claim motoring expenses. As the Chancellor announced in March 2026, the Government will review this issue and will consider this matter further as part of a future fiscal event.

Found: the recommendation of Bywater Properties, which is a developer and organisation founded by Lord Walker of Broxton

Found: the recommendation of Bywater Properties, which is a developer and organisation founded by Lord Walker of Broxton