Oral Answers to Questions

Ben Goldsborough Excerpts

Monday 15th September 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sarah Jones]

I am sorry that my hon. Friend’s police and crime commissioner is not doing what is needed. We need to empower the police to be out doing what they do best, not creating barriers for them to do so.

[Ben Goldsborough (South Norfolk) (Lab)]

10. What steps her Department is taking to help tackle shoplifting.

[The Minister for Policing and Crime (Sarah Jones)]

Shop theft hit a record high in the last year of the previous Government, but our Crime and Policing Bill will remove the effective immunity for shop thefts under £200. We are investing over £7 million to support police efforts against retail crime over the next three years, including supporting a specialist team to target organised gangs and offenders. We also back the Tackling Retail Crime Together strategy, in which industry and police are collaborating to better target perpetrators.

[Ben Goldsborough]

As a proud member of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers and formerly the youngest deputy store manager for Halford’s in the east of England, I know at first hand the fear that shoplifting causes to retail workers. What action is my hon. Friend taking to ensure that the police have the powers they need to use the full force of the law to tackle those who steal from our shops?

[Sarah Jones]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Every Member of Parliament hears about this issue, and knows how distressing it is. The intimidation of shop workers must stop, and the thieves who target shops and are stealing to order must be targeted. We are repealing the legislation that makes shop theft of and below £200 a summary-only offence, which will send a clear message that we will not tolerate this crime.

Oral Answers to Questions

Ben Goldsborough Excerpts

Monday 29th July 2024 Commons Chamber

[Yvette Cooper]

The right hon. Gentleman makes an important point. Spiking is a terrible crime, it is extremely dangerous and too often it is not taken seriously enough. We will work with anyone and everyone to tackle this appalling crime, so that not only is more work done to prevent spiking in the first place, but, when it does take place, the perpetrators feel the full force of the law.

[Ben Goldsborough (South Norfolk) (Lab)]

T8. Under the Conservatives, rural crime rocketed by 22%, costing our economy an estimated £49.5 million—those are National Farmers Union figures, so hon. Members can question the NFU if they are not convinced. What action will the Minister take to ensure that this Tory mess is sorted and that our country lanes are protected from crimes such as heating oil theft, machinery theft and livestock theft?

[Dame Diana Johnson]

The Government recognise the importance of tackling rural crime. We are committed to safeguarding rural communities with tougher measures to clamp down on antisocial behaviour and strengthen neighbourhood policing and stronger laws to prevent farm theft and fly-tipping. The national rural crime unit provides police forces with specialist operational support in respect of the theft of farming or construction machinery, livestock theft, fly-tipping, fuel theft and equine crime.