Recommendations & Conclusions
13 items
7
Recommendation
First Report - Violence and abuse towar…
Acknowledged
A lack of clarity with regards to Government guidelines on mask wearing and social distancing exacerbated an already difficult situation for retailers in the early days of the pandemic. If in future new public health restrictions are required the Government must learn the lessons from this pandemic, and work with …
Government response. The government agreed to work closely with retailers to ensure any future public health restrictions and guidance are clear and workable, stating that BEIS and DEFRA will continue this engagement.
Home Office
8
Conclusion
First Report - Violence and abuse towar…
Acknowledged
The Committee has heard overwhelming evidence that the policing response is simply failing to match the rising tide of violence and abuse against retail workers. The evidence also suggests that the response varies significantly between police forces: while there are examples of good practice, on far too many occasions retail …
Government response. The government outlines the ongoing work of the NRCSG and its task groups in producing resources for retailers on crime reporting, data sharing, and victim support, and notes the establishment of two new Task and Finish groups on substance misuse …
Home Office
13
Conclusion
First Report - Violence and abuse towar…
Acknowledged
We therefore recommend that the National Business Crime Centre work with the National Police Chiefs’ Council to agree a better long-term way to identify and properly measure the violence and abuse suffered by retail workers in the crime statistics gathered by local police forces. We appreciate that the definition of …
Government response. The government is working with the NPCC to consider options for adding more granularity to crime data for violence against retail workers, acknowledging the need for police consultation on administrative burden, but did not commit to implementing a specific new …
Home Office
14
Recommendation
First Report - Violence and abuse towar…
Acknowledged
As local representatives Police and Crime Commissioners are well placed to understand the specific issues facing the retail community in their area and to ensure police forces focus attention on this critical issue. Collaboration between police and retailers to identify repeat offenders is a powerful tool in crime prevention. We …
Government response. The government acknowledges the importance of reporting and commits to working with relevant bodies to scope options for online business crime reporting and to consider how to encourage the creation of Business Crime Reduction Partnerships, alongside highlighting existing police funding …
Home Office
18
Conclusion
First Report - Violence and abuse towar…
Acknowledged
There is clearly an issue with the consistency of the policing response to retail crime across the country. In light of this finding, the Committee was disappointed to learn that the Government is no longer directly funding the work of the National Business Crime Centre. The National Business Crime Centre …
Government response. The government explains that national leadership is provided by the NRCSG and that while the NBCC will not be directly funded, it will receive appropriate government support and the Home Office will work with them to scope and potentially fund …
Home Office
20
Recommendation
First Report - Violence and abuse towar…
Acknowledged
Business Crime Reduction Partnerships have huge potential to improve communication and collaboration between the police, local retailers and local authorities on the issue of retail crime. Tailoring the policing response to areas of particular vulnerability, identifying repeat offenders, and developing joint preventative plans are effective measures for improving the police …
Government response. The government stated it will continue to work with relevant bodies to consider what more can be done to encourage the creation of Business Crime Reduction Partnerships but deflected the recommendation to involve shopworkers and major employers to the NABCP …
Home Office
24
Recommendation
First Report - Violence and abuse towar…
Acknowledged
We applaud the work of the Suzy Lamplugh Trust in creating Suzy’s Charter, a far more effective and useful tool than the Government’s guidance for securing the safety of retail workers. The Government’s lacklustre endorsement of the Charter, a fleeting reference that “this could be used to benchmark what your …
Government response. The government committed to reviewing existing resources and will consult with the National Retail Crime Steering Group about whether they would support the creation of an Employers Charter for retail workers, using Suzy’s Charter as a template.
Home Office
26
Conclusion
First Report - Violence and abuse towar…
Acknowledged
The Committee was impressed by this range of solutions and the potential of new technology to improve both the safety of retail workers and the ability to gather evidence about incidents of retail crime. The methods described above, such as body worn video cameras, headsets for internal communication, counselling services …
Government response. The government acknowledges that while useful resources have been created, more is needed, and commits the Home Office and NRCSG to review existing resources and fully consider the Committee's recommendation for future work.
Home Office
27
Conclusion
First Report - Violence and abuse towar…
Acknowledged
The guidance provided by the Government and the National Retail Crime Steering Group, published nearly 10 months after the response to the call for evidence, amounts to eight A4 pages of highly general advice followed by 10 pages of example statements and reports. While elements such as the short de-escalation …
Government response. The government acknowledges that while useful resources have been created, more is needed, and commits the Home Office and NRCSG to review existing resources and fully consider the Committee's recommendation for future work.
Home Office
28
Recommendation
First Report - Violence and abuse towar…
Acknowledged
We recommend that the Government’s resources, which would be particularly beneficial for independent shops and small businesses, additionally include specific ‘tool kit’ style material to support all employers to take the following actions: • An internal communication campaign to encourage staff to report all incidents of violence and abuse; • …
Government response. The government acknowledges existing resources and states it will review these resources with the NRCSG, giving full consideration to the committee's recommendation for further toolkit material when planning future work.
Home Office
31
Recommendation
First Report - Violence and abuse towar…
Acknowledged
We welcome the new funding the Home Office will be providing for drug treatment. However, it is only for one year, when sustainable increased funding is needed for ongoing services. We recommend that the Government makes central funding available for rehabilitation programmes such as the Offender2Rehab model adopted in Birmingham. …
Government response. The government refers to future plans to be set out after the Spending Review for tackling drug misuse and improving treatment, but explicitly states it has no plans to prescribe how enforcement partners use proceeds of crime funds for rehabilitation.
Home Office
35
Recommendation
First Report - Violence and abuse towar…
Acknowledged
We believe there is a strong case for extra protection in law for retail workers through a specific offence. The Government should consult urgently on the scope of the offence, recognising the particular pressure on those in different occupations who are asked to enforce the law.
Government response. The government's response is only a heading, 'Strengthening the legal framework,' offering no specific commitment or detail regarding the recommendation.
Home Office
39
Recommendation
First Report - Violence and abuse towar…
Acknowledged
The text of the Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Act, having undergone lengthy consultation and close scrutiny, provides a potential starting point. As we have previously recommended, the Government should consult urgently on the scope of a new standalone offence. A clear message must be …
Government response. The government highlights existing legal protections but commits only to considering an amendment in the Lords if appropriate and to taking the Scottish Act into account during this consideration, rather than committing to an urgent consultation.
Home Office