Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases of assaults against pharmacists were reported in each region in each of the last six months.

The Home Office collects data relating to violence against retail staff within the ‘Commercial Victimisation Survey’ (CVS) but the latest estimates are from the 2018 CVS. This includes information on assaults and threats experienced by staff working in Wholesale and Retail premises, but these figures cannot be broken down specifically for pharmacists.

The Government recognises the damaging impact that crime can have on victims, businesses, and the wider community. Pharmacies provide vital services to our communities and it is important that they should be free to trade without fear of crime or disorder, particularly in these unprecedented times. I am working closely with the police and industry to continue to monitor these types of incidents during this challenging period.