Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mike Wood and Bob Blackman

Tuesday 30th June 2026 Commons Chamber

[Mike Wood (Kingswinford and South Staffordshire) (Con)]

12. What assessment he has made of trends in the number of people receiving immediate custodial sentences for knife crime offences.

[Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con)]

21. What assessment he has made of trends in the number of people receiving immediate custodial sentences for knife crime offences.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Jake Richards)]

Knife crime is a serious offence, and the courts rightly treat it as such. Immediate custodial sentences continue to be widely used, particularly for repeat possession, with sentence lengths increasing over time. Alongside this, the Government have strengthened powers through the Crime and Policing Act 2026, including tougher penalties and new offences to keep communities safe. No one should believe a word the Opposition say on knife crime—they broke their promise that anyone caught carrying a knife would face a presumption of immediate imprisonment, and they slashed neighbourhood police numbers as knife crime soared under their watch.