Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many adult and juvenile repeat offenders in London who have not received a non-custodial sentence since Section 28 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 came into effect have had (a) more than one previous knife conviction and (b) a previous conviction for a violent offence in addition to their previous knife crime conviction.

The government continues to monitor sentencing for bladed and offensive weapon offences. On 9 March the latest knife possession sentencing quarterly statistics bulletin was published and is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/knife-possession-sentencing-quarterly-brief-october-to-december-2016.

After the introduction of our two strikes legislation, people caught carrying a knife a second time are now more likely than ever before to go to prison.

Since commencement of Section 28 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015, London police forces secured:

(a) 364 sentencing occasions resulting in a custodial sentence where the offender had more than one previous knife possession offence. Of these, 298 resulted in immediate custody and 66 in a suspended sentence.

(b) 535 sentencing occasions resulting in a custodial sentence where the offender was previously convicted or cautioned for a violence against the person offence (other than knife possession). Of these, 375 resulted in immediate custody and 160 in a suspended sentence. The figures reflect whether the offender had a previous conviction or caution for a violence against the person offence (other than knife possession), before they committed their subsequent knife possession offence. The conviction or caution for the violence against the person offence may have occurred at the same time as, or on a separate occasion to, the previous knife possession offence.

The figures provided include both adult and juvenile offenders.