Parliamentary Questions
Shop theft is a significant problem for convenience stores, affecting the lives of retailers and their staff, as well as costing each store on average over £1,700 a year. ACS has been calling on MPs to challenge the government to take shop theft more seriously.
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So far, 16 Parliamentary Questions on shop theft and retail crime have been answered:
David Hanson MP asked: "What steps he is taking to reduce shop theft."- 16th July 2018
Home Office Minister Victoria Atkins answered: "I chair the National Retail Crime Steering Group with the British Retail Consortium. This brings retailers and the police together to ensure an effective response to crimes affecting retailers and includes work to reduce shop thefts."- 16th July 2018
Sir Henry Bellingham asked: "To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the merits of the recommendations of the June 2018 report of the Centre for Social Justice, Desperate for a fix: using shop theft and a Second Chance Programme to get tough on the causes of prolific drug-addicted offending."- 3rd July 2018
Edward Argar MP answered: "The MoJ is committed to ensuring the most vulnerable offenders, including those with prolific drug addictions, are able to access appropriate support at the right time. We are currently reviewing the recommendations of the Centre for Social Justice report. There is ongoing work to help address the underlying needs of offenders which can contribute to offending behaviour. This includes diverting offenders away from custody where appropriate. We continue to support NHS England’s roll out of Liaison and Diversion services, which were operating across 82% of the country at the end of March 2018, with full rollout expected by 2020/21. We are also working with the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and Public Health England to develop a protocol to improve the uptake of community sentences with treatment requirements (CSTRs). This will ensure pathways into appropriate treatment are in place, and support greater use of CSTRs, including Drug Rehabilitation Requirements (DRRs). The protocol works as a diversion from custody and aims to improve health outcomes and reduce reoffending. We recognise female offenders often commit non-violent, low-level but persistent offences, such as shop theft and understand that drug addictions often contribute to offending behaviour. In 2017, almost half (47%) of women sentenced to a short custodial sentence had committed shop theft. A 2005/06 MOJ survey showed that female prisoners were more likely to report using Class A drugs in the four weeks before custody (58% compared with 43% of male prisoners). We are committed to addressing the underlying causes of female offending and reoffending, and are developing a Female Offender Strategy. We will publish as soon as we are able to do so."- 11th July 2018
Philip Davies MP asked: "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the level of shop theft in England and Wales; and what assessment he has made of the potential role of (a) the Government, (b) Police and Crime Commissioners and (c) local police in tackling the root cause of shop theft offending."- 3rd July 2018
Home Office Minister Victoria Atkins answered: "Statistics on shoplifting offences reported to the police are recorded in the crime statistics published by the Office for National Statistics. The statistics can be accessed via their website at www.ons.gov.uk. We encourage all retailers to report shoplifting to the police whenever it occurs, so that these crimes can be investigated and, where appropriate, the offenders brought to justice. It must, however, remain a matter for chief constables and Police and Crime Commissioners, as operational leaders and elected local representatives, to decide how best to deploy resources to respond to these crimes, alongside other local priorities. At the national level, the police, Police and Crime Commissioners, relevant government departments and the retail sector are all represented on the National Retail Crime Steering Group, which ensures a collaborative response to all the crimes that affect the retail sector. Within the Steering Group we have discussed different approaches to preventing and tackling shoplifting and this will continue to be a priority."- 11th July 2018.
Philip Davies MP asked: "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans the National Retail Crime Steering Group has to consider new ways to tackle the root cause of shop theft in their upcoming work plan."- 3rd July 2018
Home Office Minister Victoria Atkins answered: "As co-chair of the National Retail Crime Steering Group with the British Retail Consortium, it is part of my role to ensure that the Steering Group’s work plan reflects the retail sector’s crime priorities and that the required activity is in place to deliver it. This includes work to reduce shoplifting alongside other crimes that impact on the retail sector. We have discussed different approaches to preventing and tackling shoplifting as part of the work of the Steering Group and this will continue to be a priority."- 11th July 2018
Philip Davies MP asked: "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the report entitled Desperate for a fix, published in June 2018 by the Centre for Social Justice on new ways to tackle the root cause of shop theft and offenders with drug dependencies."- 3rd July 2018
Home Office Minister Victoria Atkins answered: "Drugs can devastate lives, ruin families and damage communities. This Government’s approach to them remains clear - we must prevent drug use in our communities and support people through treatment and recovery. Our Drug Strategy, published in July 2017, sets out a balanced approach which brings together police, health, community and global partners to tackle the illicit drug trade, protect the most vulnerable and help those with a drug dependency to recover and turn their lives around. We will consider the recommendations contained in the report, Desperate for a Fix: Using shop theft and a Second Chance Programme to get tough on the causes of prolific drug-addicted offending, as part of our ongoing work programme."- 11th July 2018
Sir David Crausby asked: "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment they have made of the level of shop theft in England and Wales; and what assessment he has made of the role (a) the Government, (b) Police and Crime Commissioners and City Mayors and (c) local police forces can play in tackling the root cause of shop theft offending."- 3rd July 2018
Home Office Minister Victoria Atkins answered: "Statistics on shoplifting offences reported to the police are recorded in the crime statistics published by the Office for National Statistics. The statistics can be accessed via their website at www.ons.gov.uk. We encourage all retailers to report shoplifting to the police whenever it occurs, so that these crimes can be investigated and, where appropriate, the offenders brought to justice. It must, however, remain a matter for chief constables and Police and Crime Commissioners, as operational leaders and elected local representatives, to decide how best to deploy resources to respond to these crimes, alongside other local priorities. At the national level, the police, Police and Crime Commissioners, relevant government departments and the retail sector are all represented on the National Retail Crime Steering Group, which ensures a collaborative response to all the crimes that affect the retail sector. Within the Steering Group we have discussed different approaches to preventing and tackling shoplifting and this will continue to be a priority."- 11th July 2018
Philip Davies MP asked: "To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to commence Section 151 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 to allow courts to use community orders instead of fines for repeat offenders of low-level offences."- 3rd July 2018
Rory Stewart MP answered: "There are no current plans to commence Section 151 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003. Section 143(2) of that Act requires courts to treat previous convictions as an aggravating factor when sentencing. The Sentencing Council’s guideline on theft offences came into force in 2016. This guideline allows for the imposition of community sentences for shop theft in a wide range of circumstances. In cases involving significant persistent offending, the community and custodial thresholds may be crossed even though the offence otherwise warrants a lesser sentence."- 11th July 2018
Sir David Crausby asked: "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the National Retail Crime Steering Group plans to consider new ways to tackle the root cause of shop theft in its upcoming work plan."- 3rd July 2018
Home Office Minister Victoria Atkins answered: "As co-chair of the National Retail Crime Steering Group with the British Retail Consortium, it is part of my role to ensure that the Steering Group’s work plan reflects the retail sector’s crime priorities and that the required activity is in place to deliver it. This includes work to reduce shoplifting alongside other crimes that impact on the retail sector. We have discussed different approaches to preventing and tackling shoplifting as part of the work of the Steering Group and this will continue to be a priority."- 11th July 2018
Bambos Charalambous MP asked: "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment his Department has made of the scale of shop theft in England and Wales; and what role (a) the Government, (b) Police and Crime Commissioners and (c) local police forces are planning to play in tackling the root cause of shop theft offending."- 26th June 2018
Home Office Minister Victoria Atkins answered: "Statistics on shoplifting offences reported to the police are recorded in the crime statistics published by the Office for National Statistics. The statistics can be accessed via their website at www.ons.gov.uk.
We encourage all retailers to report shoplifting to the police whenever it occurs, so that these crimes can be investigated so, where appropriate, the offenders can be brought to justice. It must, however, remain a matter for chief constables and Police and Crime Commissioners, as operational leaders and elected local representatives, to decide how best to deploy resources to respond to these crimes, alongside other local priorities. On a national level, the police, Police and Crime Commissioners, relevant government departments and the retail sector are all represented on the National Retail Crime Steering Group, which ensures a collaborative response to all the crimes that affect the retail sector. Within the Steering Group we have discussed different approaches to preventing and tackling shoplifting and this will continue to be a priority"- 4th July 2018
Steve McCabe MP asked: "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how his Department is assessing the effect of its policy to allow police forces to convict people who steal under £200 by post on levels of retail crime; and what assessment he has made of the effect of that policy on the regional disparity in retail crime offences.- 14th June 2018
Home Office Minister Victoria Atkins answered: Shop theft is a high-volume crime that has a significant impact on retailers and the wider community. This is why we encourage retailers to report these crimes to the police, so that proportionate action can be taken against those who commit these offences. By virtue of section 176 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, the shoplifting of goods of a value of £200 or less is a summary offence unless the defendant, if an adult, elects to be tried in the Crown Court. Where a summary offence, the case can be handled as a police-led prosecution, and the defendant will be given the opportunity to plead guilty by post. Police-led prosecutions were introduced to improve the efficiency of the criminal justice system by allowing for a simpler, more proportionate police-led process in high-volume, low-level, uncontested cases. We have not undertaken a specific assessment of the effect of this approach in relation to shop theft, including in relation to any regional variations in retail crime offences. However, the National Retail Crime Steering Group which I co-chair with the British Retail Consortium provides a forum for addressing issues in relation to shoplifting, which is a priority issue for the Steering Group." 21st June 2018
Sir Henry Bellingham asked: "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of changes in the level of shop theft in England and Wales in the last three years; and what role (a) the government (b) Police and Crime Commissioners and (c) local police forces can play to tackle the root causes of such theft. "- 8th June 2018
Home Office Minister Victoria Atkins answered: "Statistics on shoplifting offences reported to the police are recorded in the crime statistics published by the Office for National Statistics. The statistics can be accessed via their website at www.ons.gov.uk. The Home Office Commercial Victimisation Survey 2016 provides an analysis of crimes against businesses and shows that crimes against the wholesale and retail sector fell between 2012 and 2014, followed by a small increase between 2014 and 2016. According to the Survey, 67 per cent of the crimes against the sector in 2016 were shoplifting incidents. As part of the response to these crimes, we encourage all retailers to report shoplifting to the police whenever it occurs, so that these crimes can be investigated and, where appropriate, the offenders brought to justice. It must, however, remain a matter for chief constables and Police and Crime Commissioners, as operational leaders and elected local representatives, to decide how best to deploy resources to respond to these crimes. At the national level, the police, Police and Crime Commissioners, relevant government departments and the retail sector are all represented on the National Retail Crime Steering Group, which ensures a collaborative response to crimes that affect the retail sector."- 18th June 2018
Sir Mark Hendrick asked: "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to shoplifting data provided from police statistics on shoplifting on trends in the incidence of shoplifting in Lancashire over 2017-18, reported on by Onbuy on 25 May 2018, what support is given to retailers to counter losses occasioned by shoplifting; and what strategies are planned to reduce the number of shoplifting offences."- 8th June 2018
Home Office Minister Victoria Atkins answered: "The analysis of shoplifting offences provided by the online retail marketplace, Onbuy, is based on reports of these crimes to the police. According to Police Recorded Crime data published by the Office for National Statistics, shoplifting offences increased by 13 per cent in the year to December 2017, compared to the year to December 2016. The Government recognises the impact that shoplifting has, not only on retailers, but also on the wider community. We therefore encourage all retailers to report these incidents to the police when they occur, so that they can be investigated and, where appropriate, the offenders brought to justice. At the national level, I co-chair the National Retail Crime Steering Group, with the British Retail Consortium. This brings together representatives from government departments, the police and the retail sector so that we can focus collectively on the crime issues that affect the retail sector. We have discussed different approaches to preventing and tackling shoplifting as part of the work of the Steering Group, to help to reduce both the incidence of these crimes and the costs of these crimes to retailers."- 18th June 2018
Sir Mark Hendrick asked: "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the change in the number of shoplifting offences in Lancashire over the last two years."- 8th June 2018
Home Office Minister Victoria Atkins answered: "In the Modern Crime Prevention Strategy, published in March 2016, we set out the six key drivers of crime – opportunity, character, the effectiveness of the Criminal Justice System, profit, drugs and alcohol. These factors are likely to be relevant to the incidence of shoplifting as they are to other crime types."- 14th June 2018
Sir Henry Bellingham asked: "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the merits of the recommendations of the June 2018 report of the Centre for Social Justice, Desperate for a fix: using shop theft and a Second Chance Programme to get tough on the causes of prolific drug-addicted offending."- 8th June 2018
Home Office Minister Victoria Atkins answered: "Drugs can devastate lives, ruin families and damage communities. This Government’s approach to them remains clear - we must prevent drug use in our communities and support people through treatment and recovery. Our Drug Strategy, published in July 2017, sets out a balanced approach which brings together police, health, community and global partners to tackle the illicit drug trade, protect the most vulnerable and help those with a drug dependency to recover and turn their lives around. We will consider the recommendations contained in the report, Desperate for a Fix: Using shop theft and a Second Chance Programme to get tough on the causes of prolific drug-addicted offending, as part of our ongoing work programme."- 14th June 2018
Sir Henry Bellingham asked: "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the national retail crime steering group plans to consider new ways to tackle the root cause of shop theft in its upcoming work plan."- 8th June 2018
Home Office Minister Victoria Atkins answered: "As co-chair of the National Retail Crime Steering Group with the British Retail Consortium, it is part of my role to ensure that the Steering Group’s work plan reflects the retail sector’s crime priorities and that the required activity is in place to deliver it. This includes work to reduce shoplifting alongside other crimes that impact on the retail sector. We have discussed different approaches to preventing and tackling shoplifting as part of the work of the Steering Group and this will continue to be a priority."- 14th June 2018
Nick Thomas-Symonds MP asked: "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the level of shop theft in Torfaen compared with the constituency average in the last year."- 6th June 2018
Nick Hurd MP answered: "The Home Office collects recorded crime data for shoplifting from all police forces in England and Wales. These data are published at country, police force area (PFA), and community service partnership (CSP) level. For the latest year to December 2017, police recorded crime for shoplifting in the most relevant areas were: Wales: 20,352, Gwent PFA: 3,994, Torfaen CSP: 692"- 11th June 2018
