About the tool theft bill
Tool theft is crippling our industry. It’s an issue that impacts an immense proportion of UK tradespeople and can no longer be ignored. That’s why On The Tools created a report last year to explore and highlight the realities of UK tradespeople who have been impacted by tool theft. This report caught the attention of the UK Government…
The ‘Equipment Theft (Prevention) Bill’ was created to protect mechanically propelled vehicles like quadbikes and ATVs from being stolen. The Government read the tool theft white paper and is now considering including protecting power tools in the bill as well- by forensically marking and registering them.
Change tool theft legislation
Now, the Government has opened a consultation called a “call for evidence”. They want to hear from tool manufacturers, dealers, retailers, forensic marking companies, trade associations, tradespeople, and law enforcement practitioners about what type of tools should be included in the bill, the cost of the tools, and more.
Respond to the call for evidence through On The Tools here.
FAQs
Can I answer on the GOV UK website instead?
You could, but why would you when we at On The Tools have made things so much easier for you? We translated the relevant questions that the UK Government are asking tradespeople into a format that is a lot nicer to digest. We understand how strapped for time tradespeople can be, so our focus was cutting down the time it will take to respond. You’re welcome.
Not only this but once we’ve received everyone’s opinions, we’ll submit the responses to the UK Government on your behalf by the deadline to make sure your voices are truly heard.
What information should I give?
Some of the questions we’ll ask you include:
- What is the minimum price that a hand-held power tool should be for it to be forensically marked and registered on a database before it’s sold?
- Are there any other tools, other than hand-held power tools, that you think should be forensically marked and registered? Why?
Why does the bill mention agricultural equipment?
The bill right now only protects ATVs against theft. This includes quad bikes, Utility Task Vehicles (UTVs), ‘side-by-sides’ and buggies. There are two aspects being considered in the call for evidence. One is about how to protect the ATVs, and the other is about whether the bill should protect power tools as well. We hope that in the next version of the bill, power tools will be included.
Will this bill definitely get passed?
No. And even if the bill does get passed, there’s no guarantee that it will consider tradespeople’s power tools as worthy of protection. Some who respond might try to make it more difficult for power tools to be included in the bill. That’s why we need as many tradespeople as possible to answer these questions and make as much noise as you can.
How did the Government find out about the white paper?
Thanks to the hard work of the Combined Industries Theft Solutions (CITS), which has been looking at tool theft for a long time: campaigning and working with the Home Office about creating effective legislation. They forwarded our report to the Home Office to inform their campaigns.
How long do I have to respond?
The consultation closes at 11:59pm on 13 July 2023. We will stop accepting responses by 8:00am on 12 July 2023. (This is so we have time to collect your responses and send them to the Government).
