Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that the trial in London of the Knife Crime Prevention Orders does not result in an increase in the number of 12 year olds being criminalised.

Knife Crime Prevention Orders have been introduced as a preventative civil measure to give the police the powers they need to prevent and tackle serious violence and knife crime. Given the seriousness of the issue, the Offensive Weapons Act 2019 makes breach of an Order a criminal offence.

Knife Crime Prevention Orders will be piloted in London and will be available to the courts to be applied to persons from age 12 upwards. The purpose of these Orders is to prevent those who are subject to them – those who are identified as being particularly at risk – from being drawn into knife crime and serious violence, through the inclusion of positive requirements and restrictions that can be attached to an Order. This will help more young people to avoid being drawn into violent lifestyles and serious offending.

Knife Crime Prevention Orders that apply to those under 18 years of age will be subject to more scrutiny and oversight than those issued to adults and will be subject to consultation with the relevant Youth Offending Team. The Government will shortly be publishing guidance on Knife Crime Prevention Orders which will set out the specific considerations that must be given to children and young people in applying these new Orders.

The Government is determined to tackle serious violence, and to give the police the powers and resources they need to do this. The piloting of Knife Crime Prevention Orders in London is an important part of the action we are taking.