The Bill, which includes a new offence of assaulting a person providing a public service, performing a public duty or providing services to the public, will contain a range of significant reforms to sentencing policy.

Justice Minister Naomi Long said it was a significant step in bringing forward this important piece of legislation, which she said will have a “positive impact on the lives of thousands of people across Northern Ireland”.

“It will also introduce a new offence and higher sentences for assaulting those providing a service to the public or performing a public duty,” said the Minister.

“In developing this Bill, I have met and listened to a range of victims and stakeholder organisations. Their voices have been crucial and as we move closer to introducing the Sentencing Bill, I want to thank them for their invaluable contribution to this process.”

It had been anticipated that the Bill would be introduced to the Assembly before Christmas.

Members of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium, including Director Neil Johnston, and Usdaw representatives had met with the Minister last October. NIRC, in conjunction with the shop workers trade union Usdaw, has been championing the cause of giving retail workers better legal protection from assault.

Neil Johnston told NR that this development was a welcome one and follows campaigning by NIRC for better legal protections for shop workers from abuse and violence from customers.

“We very much welcome this Bill as it includes a new offence of assaulting a person delivering a public service, performing a public duty or providing a service to the public,” he said.

“Retailers have campaigned strongly for this measure alongside the shop workers union USDAW. We were happy to engage with the Justice Minister, Naomi Long, on the subject, delighted that she has incorporated this measure into her Bill and very much welcome her introduction of the Bill to the Assembly.

“We look forward to engaging with the Assembly on the Bill and very much hope that it makes it in to law by the end of this Assembly term. Similar measures are already in place in Scotland and in England and Wales and we hope that we can build on those experiences to ensure all retail workers – including for example delivery staff – are better protected than they are currently.

“Far too often the skilled and passionate store employees who help make our retail industry such a vibrant place to work face unacceptable abuse, intimidation, or worse whilst serving the community. It comes despite record spending by retailers on crime prevention. Such incidents have sadly been on the rise across the country, and it remains completely unacceptable.

“The Minister is to be congratulated for moving to give better protection those who serve the public.”

The Bill will create a new offence of assaulting a person delivering a public service, performing a public duty or providing a service to the public, or a person assisting such a person.

It was also set the principles of sentencing as proportionality, fairness and transparency; and the purposes of sentencing as punishment, protection of the public (including victims of crime), deterrence, rehabilitation and reparation; while also enabling the courts to include community requirements to make suspended sentences more tailored and impactful.

It will be introduced to the Assembly within the next few weeks, as soon as Assembly pre-introduction formalities have been completed.

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Stressing the challenging times our high streets are facing, NIRC Director, Neil Johnston highlighted how central they are to the economies of our cities, towns and villages.

“The Executive is putting together a three-year budget plan, and we are calling on them to at least freeze the regional rate this year and to plan to cut it in the following two years,” he said.

“Retailers have faced increasing energy and labour costs not to mention sustained inflationary rises on the products they are selling and a number of other cost increases. Consumers, many of whom continue to face a cost-of-living crisis, have seen some of these pressures reflected in prices.

“We recognise that the Executive has acted to limit the increase in the regional rate in recent years but to boost the health of retail hubs – many of which are at the heart of local communities across Northern Ireland – but we need them to go further.

“In England and Wales, the long-term issues facing the retail, hospitality and leisure industries have been recognised and measures are being taken to permanently reduce the business rate these sectors face. We need a similar vision from our Finance Minister and our Executive.”

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Both the UK and Welsh governments have recognised retailers pay a disproportionate amount in business rates and are introducing permanent rates reductions for shops from April 2026.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer is expected to confirm in her UK Budget on Wednesday 26^th November, the size of reduction in the business rate that will apply to retailers in England in the coming financial year. The Welsh Government has also announced it will reduce rates for shops from April.

The Northern Ireland Retail Consortium is calling on policymakers to ensure all retailers in Northern Ireland also benefit from a permanent reduction in business rates. The NIRC is warning that a less competitive business rates regime here would be bad for retailers but also for Northern Ireland’s retail destinations.

Despite some welcome modest reforms to the rating system by the Finance Minister, the overall level of business rates remains too onerous. Business rates are set by the combination of the regional rate set by the Executive and local element set by each of the 11 councils. In recent years many councils have imposed significant increases in business rates well in excess of inflation and the regional rate has also continued to go up.

Neil Johnston, Director of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium said: “Governments in England and Wales acknowledge the rates burden on retail is disproportionately high and are bringing in permanent rates reductions for the industry from April.

“Unless we see action to reduce business rates for all retailers in Northern Ireland then stores here risk being put at a further competitive disadvantage and potentially materially so. It’s not in the interest of Northern Ireland’s economy, nor our high streets and retail destinations, for retail businesses to be incentivised to invest in England and Wales over towns and cities in Northern Ireland.

“The retail industry and the Executive have a shared goal in boosting Northern Ireland’s high streets. Following closely on the UK budget it’s imperative the Finance Minister sets out in his draft Budget, a concrete three-year plan to permanently reduce the business rate applied to retailers of all sizes.

“Failure to do so could see consequences for commercial investment and for the condition of Northern Ireland’s town centres and other retail hubs, as destinations in GB become considerably more attractive and cost-effective locations to trade and invest in.

“Retail trading is tough right now. Continued investment is essential to keep shops viable and attractive to customers. If it becomes materially more expensive to run shops in Northern Ireland than elsewhere that’s likely to shift investment to other areas. It’s up to Executive and the Assembly to ensure Northern Ireland remains competitive.”

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In what was the Chancellor’s first official visit here, the meeting in Stormont Castle was an opportunity to stress that “decisions made in London can have a detrimental impact here”, including those in the Autumn Budget around higher National Insurance contributions for employers.

The Chancellor said the UK Government was committed to working in partnership with the Executive.

Following the meeting, deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said there had been “constructive conversation” during which plans for economic growth and transformation, including the new Office of AI and Digital, and the need for funding so that a modern service that meets the needs of citizens here can be delivered.

“Northern Ireland has so much to offer, particularly around AI, cyber and RegTech and [this] meeting with the Chancellor was an opportunity to discuss how best we can work together to make Northern Ireland an economically confident and globally competitive place as well as our role when it comes to growing economic growth across the UK,” said the deputy First Minister.

‘DRIVING REAL CHANGE’

“We raised a number of other key issues including the importance of supporting our hospitality sector, particularly in light of a high VAT rate, SMEs and the aerospace sector. We also highlighted the detrimental impact that Inheritance Tax changes will have on our farming community and agri-food sector, which is a cornerstone of our economy. We also discussed the pressure faced by businesses here due to increases in National Insurance contributions.”

Finance Minister John O’Dowd added: “[This] meeting was a useful opportunity to outline our priorities to the Chancellor. The Executive is focused on positive change that delivers real improvements in people’s lives.

“Despite the financial challenges significant progress has been made, including the delivery of a balanced budget and the recent Spending Review agreement, which will deliver an additional £600 million for public services here, as a result of our negotiation with Treasury.

“The Executive’s multiyear budget will enable a long-term strategic approach, creating the conditions to drive real change and public service transformation. I stressed to the Chancellor the importance of increasing investment in our public services to stimulate our local economy and of Whitehall recognising that the fiscal decisions they make in London can have a disproportionately negative impact here.

“I will continue to work constructively with the Treasury on a full fiscal framework which gives the Executive the financial tools, including taxation levers and borrowing powers, to deliver sustainable public finances and services that our workers, families and communities deserve.”

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Mr Swann said that he fully supported the UK Government’s plans to create a smoke-free generation and to tackle youth vaping.

He added that parents and teachers had shared their concerns with him on the growing trend among young people vaping, and that many people in Northern Ireland were also fully behind the government’s plans.

“While vaping can play a role in supporting smoking cessation, the public health advice remains clear – if you don’t smoke or vape, keep it that way – this is particularly important for children and young people,” said Mr Swann.

“If there are measures available that will reduce preventable deaths, help people live longer, healthier lives then, as Health Minister, I must advocate for them.

“Following the restoration of the NI Executive and with their support, I requested that Northern Ireland be included in the UK Government bill and this has now been agreed. Ultimately, it will be for the NI Assembly to take a final decision on our inclusion.

“Having previously introduced legislation in 2021 to help protect children from the harms of tobacco smoke and vaping, I am confident that these latest measures, if passed, will enable us to go a step further and create a future where our young people are free from these dangers.”

‘The government needs to make more financial resources available for educational campaigns’

National President of the Fed, Muntazir Dipoti

UK Minister for Public Health, Andrea Leadsom welcomed the news that Northern Ireland will “bring forward the smoke-free generation”.

“It’s excellent our Northern Ireland colleagues will join us in tackling the worrying rise in youth vaping – putting children’s health first.”

The UK Government plans also includes a ban on disposable vapes, with the proposed ban anticipated to be progressed under environmental legislation in Great Britain. The Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs is considering the next steps for Northern Ireland.

However, the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) said a ban on disposable vapes would only fuel illicit sales.

“Banning disposable vapes in the UK will not help people give up smoking and vaping but will fuel the illicit market,” said National President, Muntazir Dipoti.

To clamp down on young people vaping, the government needed to make more financial resources available for educational campaigns, while more enforcement activity was required, especially at borders to prevent counterfeit products entering the market, Mr Dipoti added.

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