Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 18 November 2024 to Question 13342 on Shoplifting Prosecutions, what estimate her Department has made of the (a) number of people who avoided charges and (b) value of goods lost because of the effective immunity on shoplifted goods under £200 in value in the last three years.

It is not possible to estimate the number of people who have avoided criminal sanctions, or the value of items stolen, as a result of the effective immunity on shoplifted goods under £200 introduced by the last Government.

However, this Government will send a clear message that all those who take part in this criminality should face the full force of the law and we are determined to remove any perception that offenders will escape punishment. That’s why we will end the effective immunity granted to shop theft of goods under £200.

This Government will also introduce a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores, because everybody has a right to feel safe on the job.