Committees

Violence and abuse towards retail workers

Inquiry

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 2021. It found that there had been a shocking rise in attacks on retail workers since 2016 and there was a failure for the police to attend these incidents, and a lack of follow-up. The Committee made several recommendations, including that the Government should consult on the scope of a new standalone offence for violence towards retail workers.

The Committee are conducting follow up work to this inquiry and are holding an oral evidence session on 17 April 2024, to take evidence on the growing rise in violence and abuse towards retail workers since 2021. The Committee will consider how equipped retailers are to deal with this and what support they receive from the police. The Committee will also take evidence on what progress has been made on the recommendations from the Committee that were accepted by Government and hear an initial response to the Retail Crime Action Plan, which launched in October 2023.

Upcoming events

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No upcoming events scheduled

Past events

Wednesday 17 April 2024
9:30am Public
Violence and abuse towards retail workers - Oral evidence 17 April 2024
9:30am
  • Joanne Cairns (Head of Research and Policy at Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers)
  • Edward Woodall (Government Relations Director at Association of Convenience Stores)
  • Paul Gerrard (Campaigns, Public Affairs and Board Secretariat Director at The Co-op)
  • Lyndsey Cambridge (Head of Engagement at Federation of Wholesale Distributors)
10:30am
  • Superintendent Patrick Holdaway (Lead for the National Business Crime Centre at City of London Police)
  • Chief Superintendent Alex Goss (Retail Crime Lead at National Police Chiefs’ Council)
  • Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman (Acquisitive Crime Lead at National Police Chief's Council)
The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Wednesday 28 April 2021
9:30am Private
10:00am Public
Violence and abuse towards retail workers - Oral evidence 28 April 2021
10:00am
  • Amanda Blakeman (Deputy Chief Constable at Gwent Police)
  • Ian Dyson QPM (Commissioner at City of London Police)
  • Patrick Holdaway (Chief Inspector at Hampshire Constabulary)
  • David Jamieson (Commissioner at West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner)
Room 16, Palace of Westminster
Wednesday 14 April 2021
9:30am Private
10:00am Public
Violence and abuse towards retail workers - Oral evidence 14 April 2021
10:00am
  • Joanne Cairns (Head of Research and Economics at Union of Shop Distributive and Allies Workers (USDAW))
  • James Lowman (Chief Executive at ACS (The Association of Convenience Stores))
11:00am
  • Iona Blake (Security and Incident Manager at Boots UK)
  • Paul Gerrard (Campaigns and Public Affairs Director at The Co-op)
  • Tom Ironside (Director, Business and Regulation at British Retail Consortium (BRC))
Virtual meeting

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We receive a significant number of emails each day. All requests and invitations are considered but we do not respond directly to everyone. Please be aware, the committee does not look at individual cases or specific complaints.