Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the definition of retail premises in clause 14 of the Crime and Policing Bill includes (a) travel ticket offices, (b) train stations and (c) commercial passenger trains.

Through our Crime and Policing Bill, we have introduced a standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores. This applies only to shop workers.

The new offence is aimed specifically at shop workers due to the unacceptable, soaring levels of retail crime and assaults against retail workers in recent years.

Those workers whose roles are not included within the definition are already covered under other legislation such as the Offences against the Person Act 1861, which also covers more serious violence, including actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm.

Section 156 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 creates a statutory aggravating factor in sentencing cases of assault against public facing workers. It applies where an assault is committed against those providing a public service, performing a public duty or providing a service to the public. This includes those working in retail and other public-facing roles, including those working in the transport sector.

We will use the parliamentary process to scrutinise the provisions in the Bill and will consider carefully amendments tabled as well as evidence put forward in support of such amendments.