Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure customer service staff are protected from abuse during the covid-19 lockdown.

The Government is clear that any such abuse is unacceptable, and the Government is working closely with the National Retail Crime Steering Group (NRCSG) to deliver a programme of work which aims to provide better support to victims, improve reporting, increase data sharing and raise awareness of this despicable crime.

The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of flexible tools and powers that can be used to respond quickly and effectively to anti-social behaviour.

No specific assessment has been made of the trends in the level of abuse experienced by customer service staff during the pandemic. However, the Government continues to work with different agencies to ensure anti-social behaviour is tackled. This includes marshals, stewards and ambassadors being deployed to engage members of the public and businesses to explain COVID-19 Secure guidelines and restrictions, and the police who continue to enforce where necessary.