Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Home Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Alex Norris Excerpts
Monday 10th February 2020

(4 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Victoria Atkins Portrait Victoria Atkins
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The hon. Lady may recall that we said we would keep that under review, because we felt that the measures put forward last year were of a nature that did not target areas that have a particular problem with knife crime. We will keep it under review, but I make the point again that it is the responsibility of shop owners to make sure that if they are selling items such as that, they display them appropriately and, if necessary, keep them under lock and key.

Alex Norris Portrait Alex Norris (Nottingham North) (Lab/Co-op)
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Good youth services are the frontline against youth violence, but this week we see yet another local government settlement that means there is a decade’s worth of erosion of funding for youth services. What will the Home Office do differently to encourage the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to properly fund youth services or to put its own money into a good universal offer across all our communities?

Victoria Atkins Portrait Victoria Atkins
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The hon. Gentleman will know of the most recent local authority grants, which the House will debate later this week. He will also know that the Chancellor restated a commitment to young people, confirming £500 million of investment through the new youth investment fund over five years, in addition to the £220 million that will be spent over the next 10 years on early intervention projects that can, and I hope will, make a great difference to our young people’s lives.