Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the Metropolitan Police Service has sufficient resources to tackle knife crime in (a) London and (b) the London Borough of Enfield.

The 2015 Spending Review protected overall police spending in real terms, and the 2017/18 police funding settlement maintained that protection for all forces, including the Metropolitan Police Service. It is for the Mayor’s office for Policing and Crime in London and the Metropolitan Police Commissioner to determine how to use their available resources taking into account local priorities.

The Government’s Modern Crime Prevention Strategy published in March 2016 set out a range of measures to strengthen our response to knife crime. The Government is encouraging police forces to undertake a series of coordinated national weeks of action to tackle knife crime under Operation Sceptre. The operation includes targeting habitual knife carriers, weapon sweeps, test purchases of knives from identified retailers, and the use of surrender bins. The Home Office hosted an all force briefing event on Operation Sceptre on 14 June and the next week of action which will include the Metropolitan Police Service will take place in July.