New Clause 3 - Offences against ‘public servants’
Violent Crime Reduction Bill
8:45 pm
Hazel Blears (Minister of State (Policing, Security and Community Safety), Home Office; Salford, Labour)
I recommend that the hon. Gentleman look at some of the figures that I have seen on the offence that he mentions. I do not have them on me, but I shall be more than happy to supply them. They appear to indicate that the sentences imposed with regard to the specific offence are no greater than those imposed for general offences, so we are not providing any more protection by creating a specific offence. I shall happily provide any information that Committee members would like to see, because I am concerned that we do not put offences on to the statute book that might result in public service workers enjoying less protection than they have now. I accept the point about sending out a message, and we can do that through the Sentencing Guidelines Council.
There are many vulnerable groups as well as public service workers, although they are hugely important. Assaults on elderly people should be taken into account in the sentencing guidelines when aggravating factors and the degree of seriousness of the offences against vulnerable people are considered.
There are sometimes direct parallels with what is happening in Scotland. A specific offence of assaulting or impeding an emergency worker responding to emergency circumstances has recently been introduced there. That offence is much more narrowly drawn than the offences that the hon. Member for Hertsmere seeks to set out. It is important to follow what happens—