Oral Answers to Questions

John Howell Excerpts

Monday 10th February 2020 Commons Chamber

[Sir David Evennett (Bexleyheath and Crayford) (Con)]

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

[John Howell (Henley) (Con)]

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

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

The Government are committed to delivering on the people’s priorities by tackling violent crime. We have already invested £220 million in early intervention. Through our serious violence fund, we have committed to funding violence reduction units until 2021. We are also introducing the serious violence Bill, which will put a duty on police, councils and other agencies to prevent and reduce serious violence.

--- Later in debate ---

[Victoria Atkins]

I am grateful to my right hon. Friend, who of course brings to the House his experience of representing his constituency on this important issue. We are determined to ensure that the police have the powers they need to tackle this terrible scourge. That is why, in the new serious violence Bill, a new court order will be brought forward that will make it easier for the police to stop and search known and convicted knife carriers.

[John Howell]

What is the Minister doing to protect young and vulnerable people from drugs gangs, particularly in rural areas such as mine, where they are extremely prevalent?

[Victoria Atkins]

Drug gangs, or county lines, often involve a horrific form of child criminal exploitation, and we are determined to put an end to it. One of the many ways we are seeking to do that is through further investment in the National County Lines Co-ordination Centre, which has co-ordinated enforcement action across the country, resulting in more than 2,500 arrests and the safeguarding of more than 3,000 vulnerable people.