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Select Committee · Home Affairs Committee

Violence and abuse towards retail workers

Status: Closed Opened: 17 Dec 2020 Closed: 18 Nov 2024 21 recommendations 18 conclusions 1 report

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 abuse towards retail workers in …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
First Report - Violence and abuse towards retail workers HC 141 29 Jun 2021 39 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

4 items
4 Conclusion First Report - Violence and abuse towar… Accepted in Part

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 offenders with substance addiction problems. By comparison, conflict over the …

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 …
Home Office
10 Recommendation First Report - Violence and abuse towar… Accepted in Part

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 response, is to demand increased reporting to the police without …

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 …
Home Office
22 Conclusion First Report - Violence and abuse towar… Accepted in Part

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 for evidence, suggests that many retail workers are not getting …

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 …
Home Office
23 Recommendation First Report - Violence and abuse towar… Accepted in Part

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 the problem of employers who do not support their workers …

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 …
Home Office

Oral evidence sessions

3 sessions
Date Witnesses
17 Apr 2024 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 View ↗
28 Apr 2021 Amanda Blakeman · Gwent Police, David Jamieson · West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, Ian Dyson QPM · City of London Police, Patrick Holdaway · Hampshire Constabulary View ↗
14 Apr 2021 Iona Blake · Boots UK, James Lowman · Association of Convenience Stores, Joanne Cairns · Usdaw, Paul Gerrard · The Co-op, Tom Ironside · British Retail Consortium (BRC) View ↗

Correspondence

4 letters
DateDirectionTitle
5 Nov 2024 To cttee Letter from the Minister for Policing, Fire and Crime Prevention regarding vio…
22 May 2024 From cttee Letter to the Home Secretary regarding follow-up work in relation to the Violen…
9 Nov 2022 From cttee Letter to the Home Secretary on violence and abuse towards retail workers, date…
7 Jun 2021 — Analysis of survey results for inquiry on violence towards retail workers