Asked by: David Burrowes (Conservative - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many adult and juvenile repeat offenders in London who have not received a non-custodial sentence since Section 28 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 came into effect have had (a) more than one previous knife conviction and (b) a previous conviction for a violent offence in addition to their previous knife crime conviction.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
The government continues to monitor sentencing for bladed and offensive weapon offences. On 9 March the latest knife possession sentencing quarterly statistics bulletin was published and is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/knife-possession-sentencing-quarterly-brief-october-to-december-2016.
After the introduction of our two strikes legislation, people caught carrying a knife a second time are now more likely than ever before to go to prison.
Since commencement of Section 28 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015, London police forces secured:
(a) 364 sentencing occasions resulting in a custodial sentence where the offender had more than one previous knife possession offence. Of these, 298 resulted in immediate custody and 66 in a suspended sentence.
(b) 535 sentencing occasions resulting in a custodial sentence where the offender was previously convicted or cautioned for a violence against the person offence (other than knife possession). Of these, 375 resulted in immediate custody and 160 in a suspended sentence. The figures reflect whether the offender had a previous conviction or caution for a violence against the person offence (other than knife possession), before they committed their subsequent knife possession offence. The conviction or caution for the violence against the person offence may have occurred at the same time as, or on a separate occasion to, the previous knife possession offence.
The figures provided include both adult and juvenile offenders.
Asked by: David Burrowes (Conservative - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the oral contribution of 24 January 2017, Official Report, column 144, on prison staff, if she will assess the effect of the reduction in accommodation fabric checks on (a) the incidence of self-harm and (b) maintaining order and security in prisons; and whether the outcomes set out in Prison Service Instruction 28/2011 and Prison Service Instruction 09/2016 have been achieved.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
Prisons employ a range of operational security measures aimed at keeping prisons safe and secure. Accommodation Fabric Checks (AFCs) support this by disrupting the ability of prisoners to store prohibited items in their cells either for their own purposes or on behalf of others. Each prison must assess the frequency of AFCs required to meet their own security and safety needs. Any reduction in the frequency of AFCs may be more effectively offset by targeted and intelligence led searches.
There is no direct link between the frequency of AFCs and self-harm. Other than through ensuring the integrity of the cell, an AFC does not allow for any meaningful interaction between officer and prisoner.
MoJ is investing an extra £100m annually to boost the frontline by 2,500 prison officers so that every prisoner will have a dedicated officer to support them. Not only will a greater officer presence provide a deterrence to prisoner behaviour that threatens the safe running of prisons but officers will be better able to pick up on any signs of vulnerability in the prisoners assigned to them.
Asked by: David Burrowes (Conservative - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many court orders have been issued following non-compliance with a child arrangement order in the latest period for which figures are available.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The Ministry of Justice publishes quarterly figures on the number of children involved in Public or Private law orders made in Family courts in England and Wales. Data for 2011 to 2015 can be found in Table 4 via the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/518299/tables-for-family-court-statistics-quarterly-q4-2015.xls
Asked by: David Burrowes (Conservative - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many online sellers of knives have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted under section 141A of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 for selling knives to people under 18 since that section came into force; and what sentences were handed down to people so convicted.
Answered by Andrew Selous - Second Church Estates Commissioner
This information is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: David Burrowes (Conservative - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many suppliers of knives have been convicted under section 141A of the Criminal Justice Act 1998 since that Act's implementation; and what the average length of custodial sentence received was for such convictions.
Answered by Dominic Raab
Knife crime has no place on our streets and the Government continues to work with the police and partners, including retailers, to ensure that we reduce violence and knife crime. Selling knives, and certain articles with a blade or point, to under 18s is a criminal offence enforced by the police and Trading Standards with a maximum penalty of six months’ imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine. The law is clear that a retailer commits a criminal offence if they do not take proper steps to make sure they are not selling knives to under-18s.
The number of persons proceeded against at magistrates' courts and found guilty and sentenced at all courts of offences under S141A Criminal Justice Act 1988, England and Wales, from 1997 to 2003, can be viewed in the table.
Persons proceeded against at magistrates' courts and found guilty and sentenced at all courts for offences under S141A Criminal Justice Act 1988, England and Wales, 1997 to 2003(1)(2) | ||||||
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Year | Proceeded against | Found guilty | Sentenced | of which | Immediate Custody | Average custodial sentence length (4) |
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1997 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 1 | * |
1998 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| - | - |
1999 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| - | - |
2000 | - | - | - |
| - | - |
2001 | 9 | 8 | 8 |
| - | - |
2002 | 11 | 10 | 10 |
| - | - |
2003 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
| - | - |
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' - ' = Nil |
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* = Figure suppressed as number too small to give meaningful average. |
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(1) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. | ||||||
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(2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. | ||||||
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Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice. |
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PQ 31364/31365 |
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Data for 2004 to 2014 is available within the Criminal Justice Statistics publication at the link below.
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2014 .
One person has been given an immediate custodial sentence for this offence therefore there is no average custodial sentence length.
Asked by: David Burrowes (Conservative - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many suppliers of knives have been convicted and prosecuted under section 141A of the Criminal Justice Act 1998 since that Act's implementation; and what the average length of custodial sentence received was for such convictions.
Answered by Dominic Raab
Knife crime has no place on our streets and the Government continues to work with the police and partners, including retailers, to ensure that we reduce violence and knife crime. Selling knives, and certain articles with a blade or point, to under 18s is a criminal offence enforced by the police and Trading Standards with a maximum penalty of six months’ imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine. The law is clear that a retailer commits a criminal offence if they do not take proper steps to make sure they are not selling knives to under-18s.
The number of persons proceeded against at magistrates' courts and found guilty and sentenced at all courts of offences under S141A Criminal Justice Act 1988, England and Wales, from 1997 to 2003, can be viewed in the table.
Persons proceeded against at magistrates' courts and found guilty and sentenced at all courts for offences under S141A Criminal Justice Act 1988, England and Wales, 1997 to 2003(1)(2) | ||||||
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Year | Proceeded against | Found guilty | Sentenced | of which | Immediate Custody | Average custodial sentence length (4) |
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1997 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 1 | * |
1998 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| - | - |
1999 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| - | - |
2000 | - | - | - |
| - | - |
2001 | 9 | 8 | 8 |
| - | - |
2002 | 11 | 10 | 10 |
| - | - |
2003 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
| - | - |
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' - ' = Nil |
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* = Figure suppressed as number too small to give meaningful average. |
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(1) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. | ||||||
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(2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. | ||||||
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Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice. |
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PQ 31364/31365 |
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Data for 2004 to 2014 is available within the Criminal Justice Statistics publication at the link below.
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2014 .
One person has been given an immediate custodial sentence for this offence therefore there is no average custodial sentence length.
Asked by: David Burrowes (Conservative - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many suppliers of knives have been convicted and prosecuted under section 141A of the Criminal Justice Act 1998 since that Act's implementation; and what average length of custodial sentence was received for such convictions.
Answered by Dominic Raab
Knife crime has no place on our streets and the Government continues to work with the police and partners, including retailers, to ensure that we reduce violence and knife crime. Selling knives, and certain articles with a blade or point, to under 18s is a criminal offence enforced by the police and Trading Standards with a maximum penalty of six months’ imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine. The law is clear that a retailer commits a criminal offence if they do not take proper steps to make sure they are not selling knives to under-18s.
The number of persons proceeded against at magistrates' courts and found guilty and sentenced at all courts of offences under S141A Criminal Justice Act 1988, England and Wales, from 1997 to 2003, can be viewed in the table.
Persons proceeded against at magistrates' courts and found guilty and sentenced at all courts for offences under S141A Criminal Justice Act 1988, England and Wales, 1997 to 2003(1)(2) | ||||||
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Year | Proceeded against | Found guilty | Sentenced | of which | Immediate Custody | Average custodial sentence length (4) |
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1997 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 1 | * |
1998 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| - | - |
1999 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| - | - |
2000 | - | - | - |
| - | - |
2001 | 9 | 8 | 8 |
| - | - |
2002 | 11 | 10 | 10 |
| - | - |
2003 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
| - | - |
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' - ' = Nil |
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* = Figure suppressed as number too small to give meaningful average. |
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(1) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. | ||||||
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(2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. | ||||||
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Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice. |
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PQ 31364/31365 |
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Data for 2004 to 2014 is available within the Criminal Justice Statistics publication at the link below.
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2014 .
One person has been given an immediate custodial sentence for this offence therefore there is no average custodial sentence length.
Asked by: David Burrowes (Conservative - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people under the age of 18 have been convicted under section 141A of the Criminal Justice Act 1998 since that Act's implementation; and what the average length of custodial sentence was received for such convictions.
Answered by Andrew Selous - Second Church Estates Commissioner
No juvenile offenders have been sentenced to immediate custody under section 141A of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 in England and Wales since its implementation. Data for 2004 to 2014 is available in the Criminal Justice Statistics outcome by offence data tool available at the below link;
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2014
No juveniles were convicted before 2006. Court proceedings data for 2015 is planned for publication in May 2016.
Asked by: David Burrowes (Conservative - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been convicted and given mandatory sentences for two knife crime convictions in the last three years.
Answered by Andrew Selous - Second Church Estates Commissioner
Section 28 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 provides for a minimum custodial sentence for a second (or further) conviction for possession of a knife or offensive weapon. This provision was commenced by the Government on 17 July 2015 and applies to those offenders who committed a second offence after this date. The latest quarterly sentencing bulletin for knife possession offences contains information about repeat offences:
These statistics only show a small number of cases of knife crime possession dealt with under the most recent sentencing provisions, given the short time since implementation. However, the next quarterly bulletin will start to provide a clearer picture of the impact of the minimum sentence, but we would normally look to assess the impact of a new provision on the basis of at least 12 months data.
Asked by: David Burrowes (Conservative - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders have been sentenced for what length of time pursuant to (a) section 1 of the Prevention of Crime Act 1953, as amended by the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 and (b) section 139 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988, as amended by the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 to date.
Answered by Shailesh Vara
The data requested on offences amended by the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 is not yet available and will be published in due course.