Neighbourhood Policing: Leigh and Atherton

The Government are introducing a neighbourhood policing guarantee, which means that all communities will have named and contactable officers from the end of this month, and we are expanding neighbourhood policing, including by delivering 176 new neighbourhood officers this year for the Greater Manchester police force, which covers the Leigh and Atherton constituency.

As a proud Co-op Member, I commend the long-standing campaign for better protections for retail workers. USDAW’s National Retail Workers’ Day, which took place this weekend, highlights the essential role that retail plays in all our communities. Will the Minister join me in thanking retail workers in Leigh and Atherton and across the UK? Will she commit to strong, visible neighbourhood policing in our towns, which is crucial to protecting them from abuse, to ensure that workers can work safely on the frontline?

I will certainly join my hon. Friend in thanking shop workers in her constituency and right across the country, who were often on the frontline during the covid pandemic. Sadly, during that period and since then, they have seen a disgraceful increase in assaults and abuse. We cannot stand for that, which is why we are not only introducing stronger neighbourhood policing—particularly in town centres—but bringing in the new law on assaults against shop workers as part of the Crime and Policing Bill. What a shame the Conservative party voted against it.