I was very pleased to speak in the debate on the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences Bill) and voice my support.
The purpose of the Bill is to increase protection against our frontline emergency workers, something that I and my Conservative colleagues fully support. Indeed, our prison, police and A&E officers work tirelessly to protect our lives and I think it’s only right that those who abuse them receive tougher sentences. We absolutely have to ensure that our emergency workers’ hard work is not made more difficult by the reckless actions of a few individuals, and I hope this Bill will make their working environment less challenging.
I do think this Bill comes at a crucial time as crime across the South East is continuing to rise. This is in correlation with the abuse that prison staff and police officers are receiving more widely throughout the country, so any decrease in available staff as a result of violent behaviour is wholly unacceptable. I know from personal experience during my post-surgery treatment just how badly our emergency workers are treated and I see this highlighted by the fact that we have to have police officers waiting in our A&E departments. The new legislation will help tackle this problem head-on and hopefully make our emergency workers feel safer in their workplace.
Whilst visiting HM Rochester Prison last year I was made acutely aware of the difficulties we are facing locally and I look forward to seeing this Bill implemented in the near future. I am immensely proud of everything that our frontline officers do for us and I welcome this vital move in increasing their personal safety. If you would like to listen to my full speech, please click on the following link:
http://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/401d7566-5a1e-4bad-abf3-8a0278b2c164?in=11:06:48&out=11:16:01