Knives: Crime

(asked on 14th June 2021) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what additional funding his Department has allocated to reducing knife crime in (a) the UK and (a) Leicestershire.


Answered by
Kit Malthouse Portrait
Kit Malthouse
This question was answered on 17th June 2021

This Government is determined to turn the tide on knife crime in all areas, wherever it occurs.

On 4 February 2021, the Government published a total police funding settlement of up to £15.8 billion in 2021/22, an increase of up to £636 million compared to 2020/21. Leicestershire Police will receive up to £215.0 million in 2021/22; an increase of up to £11.1 million from the previous year.

The Home Office has invested a total of £242 million over three years in the 18 police force areas most affected by serious violence through the Serious Violence Fund (SVF). Over three years, £105.5 million of the SVF has been invested in multi-agency Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) in the 18 areas, with £2,640,000 allocated to the Leicestershire PCC to develop the Leicestershire VRU. VRUs bring together police, local government, health and education professionals, community leaders and other key partners to identify the local drivers of serious violence and agree a multi-agency response to them. In addition, Leicestershire Police have been awarded £2,855,990 of the remaining £104.9 million of the SVF, which has been allocated to the same 18 police forces to fund a surge in police operational activity.

In addition to the Serious Violence Fund, the Home Office have invested £200 million in early intervention and prevention support initiatives over 10 years to support children and young people at risk of exploitation and involvement in serious violence, through the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF). On 6 May 2020, the YEF launched a new £6.5 million Covid-19 grant round to support vulnerable young people, aged 10 to 14, at risk of youth violence. In total, 2 grantees in Leicestershire are in receipt of funding from all grant rounds.

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