Oral Answers to Questions

Edward Timpson Excerpts

Monday 10th February 2020 Commons Chamber

[Darren Henry (Broxtowe) (Con)]

3. What steps she is taking to divert young people away from violent crime.

[Edward Timpson (Eddisbury) (Con)]

11. What steps she is taking to divert young people away from violent crime.

[Lucy Powell (Manchester Central) (Lab/Co-op)]

13. What steps she is taking to tackle youth violence.

--- Later in debate ---

[Edward Timpson]

Children excluded from school are twice as likely to carry a knife. A quarter of young offenders who are serving a custodial sentence of less than 12 months have a history of permanent exclusion. To help turn around the life chances of these children, will my hon. Friend take up the recommendations in my report on school exclusion, published last year, which are aimed at taking a public health approach to crime and tackling the root causes, not just the symptoms, of school disengagement?

[Victoria Atkins]

I thank my hon. Friend for his meticulous work in his report. He will know that the Prime Minister is taking charge of our response to serious violence, and is indeed holding a Cabinet Sub-Committee on this imminently. I agree that we must tackle the root causes of serious violence. That is precisely why we are bringing forward the serious violence Bill to place a duty on the agencies that can help to address it.