Oral Answers to Questions

Darren Henry Excerpts

Monday 12th July 2021 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Thank you for that.

[Darren Henry (Broxtowe) (Con)]

What steps her Department is taking to prevent young people from becoming involved in crime and violence.

[Simon Baynes (Clwyd South) (Con)]

What steps her Department is taking to help stop young people from becoming involved in crime and violence.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Victoria Atkins)]

From 2019 to 2022, this Government will have provided more than £242 million across the 18 areas that account for the majority of knife crime and other serious violence incidents. This money is funding violence reduction units, which will draw together all key partners to address the root causes of violence as well as targeted police action to deter and disrupt knife crime. The House has recently approved the serious violence duty in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, and we are investing more than £200 million over the next decade in the youth endowment fund to help interventions to divert young people away from serious violence.

[Darren Henry [V]]

In Nottinghamshire, our violence reduction unit has played a key role in strategic planning and supporting practical local work to protect our young people from harm. Can the Minister provide any reassurance that VRUs will continue to form part of our local response to serious youth violence, supported by Home Office funding?

[Victoria Atkins]

This Government take extremely seriously the harm that serious violence causes all people across society, but particularly young people who are dragged into gangs by gang leaders. That is why, through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, we have introduced, as I said, the serious violence duty. We are also increasing sentences for the most violent offenders. VRUs remain a key part of our work to tackle serious violence, as demonstrated by our £2.6 million invested in Nottingham alone.