Lord Davies of Gower (Con)

My Lords, I thank the Minister for his response. I hear what he says about shopkeepers, but this amendment is about a simple principle: those who act in good faith to prevent crime or assist in the lawful apprehension of an offender should not be penalised for doing so. The law already recognises, through Section 3 of the Criminal Law Act 1967, that reasonable force may be used in such circumstances. This amendment seeks to ensure that employment protections properly reflect that long-standing principle. We on these Benches believe that this amendment is both measured and tightly drawn. It applies only where an individual has acted in accordance with the law around the use of force in preventing crime. We should also be clear about the signal we send: when individuals step forward to protect others, often in fast-moving and uncertain situations, they should not have to weigh, in that moment, whether doing the right thing might cost them their livelihood. That cannot be the message we wish to send as a society. I therefore repeat the questions I posed to the Minister: what remedy is there for cases such as this, and what steps will the Government perhaps take in the future to ensure that individuals are not placed in such a position again? Unless and until there is a clear and satisfactory answer to those questions, I remain of the view that this amendment provides a necessary and proportionate safeguard. I would like to think that the Government could support these steps but, in view of what the Minister said, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.