🛍️ Crime and Policing Bill (Fifth sitting)

Public Bill Committees

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The Crime and Policing Bill session focused on enhancing protections for retail workers by introducing a new criminal offence for assaulting them, aiming to deter violence and abuse in retail settings. Discussions included proposals to extend similar protections to wholesale workers and delivery drivers, though these were not adopted due to concerns about legal ambiguity. The session also addressed the issue of shoplifting, with a proposal to remove the financial threshold for prosecuting theft, making all shop thefts triable in either magistrates or Crown courts. Concerns were raised about potential delays in the judicial process if more cases were pushed to the Crown court, highlighting the need for swift justice to effectively combat retail crime.

Summary

  • The session focused on the Crime and Policing Bill, specifically discussing measures to protect retail workers from assault and tackle shop theft.
  • A new criminal offence was proposed under Clause 14 for assaulting a retail worker, aimed at sending a strong message against violence in retail settings.
  • Statistics were presented showing a significant rise in assaults and shoplifting; for instance, shoplifting increased by 23% in the year to September 2024, and there were around 737,000 incidents of violence and abuse against retail workers in 2023-24.
  • The Bill includes a presumption for courts to impose a criminal behaviour order for the new offence, which could restrict an offender’s actions and ban them from specific premises.
  • Amendments proposed by the opposition included mandatory community orders for repeat offenders and specific monitoring requirements for third-time offenders, but these were not supported and were voted down.
  • Clause 16 aimed to make theft from a shop triable either way, regardless of the value of goods, to address the perception that low-value theft was being overlooked.
  • Concerns were raised about the potential for delays in the justice system if more cases were to go to Crown Court rather than being dealt with more quickly by magistrates.
  • Discussions also touched on whether to extend protections to other worker groups such as wholesale workers, delivery drivers, and bank staff, but no amendments were made to include these groups.
  • The government committed to reviewing the effectiveness of facial recognition technology in tackling retail crime and pledged to continue funding for this technology.
  • It was emphasized that all incidents of violence and abuse should be reported to better understand and address the scale of the problem.

Divisiveness

The session on the Crime and Policing Bill shows a moderate level of disagreement among the members of the Committee. The disagreements primarily revolve around the scope and effectiveness of the proposed legislation, particularly concerning the protection of retail workers and the handling of related crimes. Here are the key points of disagreement and their implications for the rating:

  1. Scope of Protection: There is a notable disagreement on whether the protection should be extended beyond retail workers to include other groups such as wholesale workers, delivery drivers, and bank staff. For instance, Harriet Cross (Con) and Joe Robertson (Con) argue for the inclusion of delivery drivers, while the Minister, Dame Diana Johnson, expresses concerns about legal ambiguity and the need for clear definitions. This disagreement is evident in the discussions around new clause 20 and other amendments, indicating a divergence in views on how comprehensive the legislation should be.

  2. Effectiveness of Proposed Measures: There is disagreement on the effectiveness of the proposed measures, particularly regarding the impact of making theft from a shop triable either way, irrespective of the value of goods. Matt Vickers (Con) and others express concerns that this could lead to delays in justice, potentially counteracting the intended deterrent effect. The Minister defends the measure as a way to send a clear message about the seriousness of shoplifting, but the opposition’s concerns suggest a disagreement on the practical outcomes of the legislation.

  3. Sentencing and Repeat Offenders: The amendments proposed by Matt Vickers, such as amendment 29 and new clause 26, aim to impose stricter sentencing for repeat offenders. The Minister argues against these amendments, emphasizing the independence of the judiciary and the need for a comprehensive review of sentencing. This disagreement highlights differing views on how to handle repeat offenders and the role of legislative versus judicial discretion.

  4. Data and Reporting: There is a consensus on the need for better data and reporting to understand the scale of the problem, but disagreement on how to achieve this. The Minister mentions the reinstatement of a performance unit to gather data, while opposition members like Matt Vickers stress the importance of specific recording to ensure accurate data collection.

  5. Public Perception and Policy Implementation: There is a disagreement on the public perception of the legislation and its implementation. For example, Joe Robertson (Con) criticizes the idea that measures not included in the Labour manifesto cannot be added to the Bill, suggesting a disagreement on the flexibility of policy-making.

Overall, while there is a general agreement on the need to address retail crime and protect retail workers, the disagreements on the specifics of the legislation, its scope, and its potential effectiveness contribute to a rating of 2. The disagreements are significant enough to warrant discussion and division within the Committee, but they do not escalate to a high level of conflict or obstruction of the legislative process.