Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, What steps she is taking to support schools in helping prevent knife crime among young people.

Last month, the department published its plan to half knife crime, working across government to achieve a sustained reduction. The department’s focus is on strengthening schools’ ability to prevent violence, reducing children’s vulnerabilities, and improving collaboration between schools and local partners.

Alongside this, we launched the Safety In and Around Schools Partnership, which will support around 250 schools in areas most affected by knife crime, strengthening safety, improving awareness of risks, and increasing access to local support services. Updated guidance on pupil premium funding also enables this to be used for violence reduction initiatives, making it easier for school leaders to invest in preventative approaches.