Emergency Workers (Protection) Bill

I am afraid the hon. Gentleman has not understood. I do not mean to patronise him, but I pointed out that introducing a separate offence does not guarantee the outcome that he and I both want—that a sentence for an assault on a worker who is protecting the public should reflect the seriousness with which Parliament views such assaults. We both agree on that. The hon. Gentleman suggests that the way to achieve that is by creating a separate and specific offence. I have pointed out how the use of a separate and specific offence in relation to the police does not achieve that end. However, I am in the middle of describing—I will finish, and when I finish I hope the hon. Gentleman will accept the point that I am making—the way in which the sentencing guidelines procedure works, and the fact that the Sentencing Guidelines Council is in the process of consulting about how it should treat violent crimes, including assault.