Violence and abuse towards retail workers

Home Affairs Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 17 Dec 2020 Closed: 18 Nov 2024 Parliament page
Following the announcement that a General Election will be held on 4 July, Select Committees will be unable to meet from 24 May and will cease to exist from 30 May until after the General Election. This work has therefore closed The Committee carried out an inquiry into violence and … Read more
21 Recommendations
18 Conclusions
1 Report
3 Oral sessions
4 Letters
3 Events
Activity timeline 12 events
5 Nov
2024
Correspondence
22 May
2024
Correspondence
17 Apr
2024
Oral evidence
17 Apr
2024
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
9 Nov
2022
Correspondence
9 Sep
2021
Report published
29 Jun
2021
Report published
7 Jun
2021
Correspondence
28 Apr
2021
Oral evidence
28 Apr
2021
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 16, Palace of Westminster
14 Apr
2021
Oral evidence
14 Apr
2021
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Virtual meeting
Oral evidence sessions 3 sessions
17 Apr 2024
View on parliament.uk
Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman · National Police Chief's Council Chief Superintendent Alex Goss · National Police Chiefs’ Council Edward Woodall · Association of Convenience Stores Joanne Cairns · Usdaw Lyndsey Cambridge · Federation of Wholesale Distributors Paul Gerrard · The Co-op Superintendent Patrick Holdaway · City of London Police
28 Apr 2021
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Amanda Blakeman · Gwent Police David Jamieson · West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Ian Dyson QPM · City of London Police Patrick Holdaway · Hampshire Constabulary
14 Apr 2021
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Iona Blake · Boots UK James Lowman · Association of Convenience Stores Joanne Cairns · Usdaw Paul Gerrard · The Co-op Tom Ironside · British Retail Consortium (BRC)
Title HC No. Published Items Response
First Report - Violence and abuse towards retail workers HC 141 29 Jun 2021 39 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
4 results
Clear
4 Conclusion Accepted in Part
First Report - Violence and abuse …
Acquisitive theft, organised crime, and police failures fuel violence against retail workers.
There are several factors driving the increase in violence and abuse towards retail workers over the last 5 years. However, the primary factor appears to be increasing levels of acquisitive theft which are linked to both organised crime and prolific … Read more
Government Response
The government is committed to tackling drug misuse, which drives acquisitive crime, referencing Dame Carol Black’s review. It details £80m investment in drug treatment and recovery for 2021-22, additional funding for rough sleepers, extension of the Individual Placement and Support programme, and expansion of Project ADDER to address drug dependency and prevent related offending.
Home Office
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10 Recommendation Accepted in Part
First Report - Violence and abuse …
Police forces inadequately record data on assaults against shopworkers and retail crime.
We welcome the Government’s work to provide better guidance and support for retail workers on reporting retail crime. However, it is deeply disappointing that the main thrust of the Government’s response to shopworkers, who have lost confidence in the police … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees that incidents must be reported and acknowledges current data under-reporting. It commits to working with the National Business Crime Centre to consider options for adding more granularity to crime recording, but notes consultation will be needed to assess the administrative burden on police forces.
Home Office
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22 Conclusion Accepted in Part
First Report - Violence and abuse …
Many retail workers receive insufficient employer support for reporting incidents and difficult situations.
Employers have a duty of care and play a vital role in ensuring their employees have the confidence to report incidents, and the appropriate support to deal with difficult situations. Evidence from our public survey, and the Government’s 2019 call … Read more
Government Response
The government highlights existing support for victims through NRCSG resources, including webinars and case studies, and ongoing work with restorative justice charities. It also commits the Home Office and NRCSG to review current resources and consult on creating an Employers Charter to enhance advice, training, and support for victims and employers.
Home Office
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23 Recommendation Accepted in Part
First Report - Violence and abuse …
Set out clear government guidance for employers on supporting retail workers and mitigating crime risks.
We welcome the Government’s creation of downloadable digital assets for the #ShopKind campaign which we hope will raise awareness amongst the public about retail crime and its impact on shop workers. However, we think this action completely fails to address … Read more
Government Response
The government highlights ongoing support for victims through NRCSG resources and future work with restorative justice charities. It commits the Home Office and NRCSG to review existing resources and consult on the creation of an Employers Charter, in conjunction with the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, to provide additional advice, training, and support for victims and employers.
Home Office
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Government Response AI assessment · 39 of 21 classified
Accepted 6
Accepted in Part 4
Acknowledged 13
Deferred 12
Not Addressed 4
Total 21 recs + 18 conclusions
Correspondence 4 letters
5 Nov 2024 To committee Letter from the Minister for Policing, Fire and Crime Prevention regarding violence and abuse towards retail workers 29.10.24
Parliament page
22 May 2024 From committee Letter to the Home Secretary regarding follow-up work in relation to the Violence and abuse towards retail workers inquiry, dated 22 May 2024
Parliament page
9 Nov 2022 From committee Letter to the Home Secretary on violence and abuse towards retail workers, dated 7 November 2022
Parliament page
7 Jun 2021 Analysis of survey results for inquiry on violence towards retail workers
Parliament page