Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2026 to Question 100020, Serious Violence Reduction Orders, what assessment was made by the independent evaluation of (a) the use of the SVRO stop and search power, (b) the effectiveness of SVROs in reducing reoffending, and (c) the effectiveness of SVROs in reducing knife carrying.

Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs) were piloted for two years throughout Merseyside, Sussex, Thames Valley and West Midlands police force areas. The pilot took place between 19 April 2023 and 18 April 2025.

The pilot has been independently evaluated and looks at the effectiveness of SVROs, including the use of the SVRO stop and search power and the effectiveness of SVROs in reducing reoffending and knife carrying.

The evaluation and its findings are currently being considered.