Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans the Government has to bring forward legislative proposals similar to the Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Bill.
This Government considers existing legislation covers a wide range of offences which criminalise threatening or abusive behaviour intended to harass, alarm or distress a person, and which would apply in cases of violence towards people whose work brings them into contact with members of the public. These offences cover the full spectrum of unacceptable behaviour from using abusive language to the most serious and violent offences.
While the sentencing of offenders is extremely important, reporting, investigating and making sure there are consequences for these crimes is much more likely to drive down the numbers of incidents.