Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Afzal Khan and Tobias Ellwood

Monday 26th February 2024 Commons Chamber

[Afzal Khan (Manchester, Gorton) (Lab)]

1. What steps he is taking to tackle knife crime in Greater Manchester.

[Mr Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East) (Con)]

2. What steps he is taking to tackle knife crime in Bournemouth.

[The Minister for Crime, Policing and Fire (Chris Philp)]

As we have said often in debates this House, knife crime is a terrible crime; it tears families apart and all too often takes young people from us. As the House will know, violent crime overall has reduced by 51% since 2010, but there is more we can do. That includes funding violence reduction units—Manchester’s VRU has £20 million of funding for the coming financial year—and running hotspot policing in areas where serious violence and antisocial behaviour are a problem. The £66 million of funding for that across England and Wales is in addition to the existing police funding settlement.