Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Emergency Workers: Assaults

Tuesday 18 May 2021 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Chris Bryant questioned the sufficiency of current legislation against assaulting emergency workers.
  • In 2019, 11,257 cases were prosecuted for assaulting an emergency worker, with 9,066 resulting in convictions.
  • The Government plan to double the maximum sentence for assaulting an emergency worker to 24 months.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Chris Bryant Lab Rhondda and Ogmore
Crime & Law Enforcement
Context

The MP inquired about the prosecution numbers for assaulting an emergency worker, highlighting concerns over inadequate sentencing guidelines.

Question

How many people were prosecuted for assaulting an emergency worker in 2020. The MP noted that there had been a significant number of cases and questioned whether the current legislation was sufficient to address the issue.

Answer from Chris Philp

In 2019, 11,257 cases were prosecuted for an assault against an emergency worker and in that year 9,066 resulted in conviction and sentencing. The Government are legislating to double the maximum sentence for an assault on an emergency worker from 12 to 24 months.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner asked about the prosecution numbers for 2020, but the answer provided data for 2019 and did not address the specific year requested.

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Q2 Chris Bryant Lab Rhondda and Ogmore
Crime & Law Enforcement Justice & Courts
Context

The MP raised concerns about the number of assaults against emergency workers and the need for stricter sentencing guidelines, particularly regarding spitting as a form of assault.

Question

It sounds as though that was a very well-written piece of legislation in the first place because it seems to be having an effect. However, we do still have large numbers of emergency workers being assaulted and the Sentencing Council still has not produced new guidelines to insist that magistrates must treat simply spitting as a “proper assault”. Especially in the last year, that has become more important than ever before. May I ask the Minister: how many of the people who have been prosecuted have had sentences longer than six months? That is the key to determining whether lengthening maximum sentences to two years will be effective.

Answer from Chris Philp

I should start by congratulating the hon. Gentleman on the instrumental role that he played in bringing forward the legislation to which I have just referred. On the question of Sentencing Council guidelines, I understand that the Sentencing Council, which is independent of Government, is in the process of looking at the sentencing guidelines. I hope that it will reflect the very strong feelings on both sides of this House about the seriousness of assaulting an emergency worker and that it will bear that in mind when it publishes those revised guidelines. I am afraid I do not have to hand the number of those being sentenced to more than six months; of course many will be. Where the assault is more serious, it will be prosecuted as grievous bodily harm or GBH with intent, which carry much higher maximum sentences.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not provide specific numbers regarding sentencing lengths over six months and avoided directly addressing the question's core request for statistics.

How: I Am Afraid I Do Not Have To Hand The Number Of Those Being Sentenced To More Than Six Months

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