Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing an offence of harming, threatening or intimidating a person, whether or not in the performance of their duties, in order to punish, deter or retaliate against the exercise of a public function, including where that person is not an emergency worker.

The Government is clear that individuals should be able to carry out public functions without being subjected to violence, threats or intimidation. A range of existing criminal offences may apply to such behaviour, including assault, harassment, stalking and public order offences.