Extract from Commons debate on Policing (England and Wales) - Feb 10
Thursday, 11 February 2021 08:01
Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering) (Con): I congratulate the Minister
on his remarks and on the work he does with the police. Is he as
concerned as I am that during the pandemic, across the country but
particularly in Northamptonshire, the number of police officers
coughed on, spat at, or bitten, rose to 130 attacks between
February and November last year, which was up from 110 attacks
during the same period the year before? Is that not especially
disgraceful, given that the pandemic has been...Request free trial
(Kettering)
(Con): I congratulate the Minister on his remarks and
on the work he does with the police. Is he as concerned as I am
that during the pandemic, across the country but particularly in
Northamptonshire, the number of police officers coughed on, spat
at, or bitten, rose to 130 attacks between February and November
last year, which was up from 110 attacks during the same period the
year before? Is that not especially disgraceful, given that the
pandemic has been raging through our country?
The Minister for Crime and Policing ():...My hon. Friend is right: it is a complete
disgrace, and unfortunately during the pandemic we have seen a rise
in the particularly unpleasant practice of spitting or coughing on
police officers and claiming to have covid. Sadly, that comes off
the back of a general rise in assaults on police and emergency
workers. I confess that I do not know what goes through the twisted
mind of somebody who would do such an unspeakable thing.
I hope my hon. Friend will join me in voting with
enthusiasm when the Police Powers and Protections Bill
comes forward, both for the police covenant, which is there
to protect police officers and ensure we pay attention to their
wellbeing and protection, and for the doubling of the sentences for
assaults on emergency workers. He and I both stood on that as a
promise in our 2019 manifesto. We need the penalties for such awful
offences to be increased, to deter those who think about such
unspeakable things, and to punish those who cross that appalling
line...
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