Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce incidences of (a) violent crime, (b) theft in which a weapon is used and (c) theft in which no weapon is used.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Homicide, gun crime, and knife crime are all below their pre-pandemic levels. The Home Office is investing over £110m to tackle serious violence in 2023/24. This includes:
We are also banning certain types of large knives (such as zombie style knives and machetes), giving the police more powers to seize dangerous weapons, creating a new offence of possession of a bladed weapon with an intent to harm, and increasing sentences for those who import, manufacture or sell dangerous weapons to under 18s.
On theft, we welcome the latest Crime Survey for England and Wales data, which shows a 77% per cent fall in robbery and a 52% fall in theft from the person in the year to March 2023 compared to the year to March 2010.
The Safer Streets Fund lies at the heart of the Government’s strategy for cutting crime, protecting the law-abiding majority, and making neighbourhoods safe. We have invested £120m since 2020 into the Safer Streets Fund to increase the safety of public spaces for all, targeting neighbourhood crimes such as theft and robbery. The Fund is also intended to boost trust in the police and make communities feel safer.
On 28 August police forces across England and Wales committed to a ministerial request to follow up on ‘reasonable lines of enquiry’ where there is a reasonable chance it could lead them to catching a perpetrator and solving a crime. This will include taking full advantage of footage from CCTV, phones and smart doorbells to help identify suspects and tracking stolen items where reasonable and proportionate to do so.
Mentions:
1: Stephen Metcalfe (Con - South Basildon and East Thurrock) I want to talk a bit about knife crime. - Speech Link
2: Anna Firth (Con - Southend West) How will that help the police to tackle knife crime in a more proactive manner? - Speech Link
3: Chris Philp (Con - Croydon South) Can you give your views on serious crime prevention orders and say how we can make sure they are used - Speech Link
4: Anna Firth (Con - Southend West) Q Back to knife crime and clause 10 of the Bill. - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Stephen Metcalfe (Con - South Basildon and East Thurrock) Q I would like to go back to the issue of knife crime, which I am particularly interested in. - Speech Link
2: Stephen Metcalfe (Con - South Basildon and East Thurrock) The set of provisions around knife crime is very welcome. - Speech Link
3: Stephen Metcalfe (Con - South Basildon and East Thurrock) However, as you may have heard in the previous session, I am particularly interested in knife crime, - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Alex Norris (LAB - Nottingham North) A lot of work goes into early intervention and prevention and how we deal with young people on the path - Speech Link
2: Alex Cunningham (Lab - Stockton North) So if someone provides—I do not know—a knife or some drugs, I am not sure there is provision for that - Speech Link
3: Laura Farris (Con - Newbury) admission—“Yes, I am going to meet Jonathan Hall, the well-known terrorist,” or “Yes, I am going to visit knife - Speech Link
4: None was a communications offence, but it is also possible to encourage self-harm by handing somebody a knife - Speech Link
5: Jess Phillips (Lab - Birmingham, Yardley) Priority orders are defined in the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 as including compensation orders. - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Julie Marson (Con - Hertford and Stortford) , but that the crime fits the crime? - Speech Link
2: Elliot Colburn (Con - Carshalton and Wallington) Wallington is supposed to be one of the safest parts of London, but it has been shocked by a number of knife - Speech Link
3: Mike Freer (Con - Finchley and Golders Green) For example, last year we launched a £10 million housing loss prevention advice service. - Speech Link
4: Mike Freer (Con - Finchley and Golders Green) , housing loss prevention and immigration. - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: James Gray (Con - North Wiltshire) Surely the question should be the crime rather than the age. - Speech Link
2: Alex Chalk (Con - Cheltenham) We are rolling out the housing loss prevention advice service—that is another £10 million going in. - Speech Link
3: Alex Chalk (Con - Cheltenham) Gentleman will welcome the £10 million that is going to the Housing Loss Prevention Advisory Service, - Speech Link
4: Gareth Bacon (Con - Orpington) starting points for murders preceded by controlling or coercive behaviour and for murders committed with a knife - Speech Link
5: Alex Chalk (Con - Cheltenham) Court orders must be obeyed, and a person can apply to the court for them to be removed. - Speech Link
Nov. 14 2023
Source Page: Criminal Justice Bill 2023: impact assessmentsFound: Prevention Orders
Mentions:
1: Laura Farris (Con - Newbury) It contains new powers on knife crime to seize, retain and destroy a bladed article found on private - Speech Link
2: Tobias Ellwood (Con - Bournemouth East) Such police units in other parts of the country have a proven track record in reducing knife crime in - Speech Link
3: Alex Davies-Jones (Lab - Pontypridd) Over the last 13 years, the role of crime prevention work has been heavily downgraded by the Home Office - Speech Link
4: Louie French (Con - Old Bexley and Sidcup) On crime prevention, one of the best tools used in London is stop and search, which removes about 400 - Speech Link
Asked by: Andrea Jenkyns (Conservative - Morley and Outwood)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to use artificial intelligence to help (a) predict and (b) prevent violent attacks involving (i) machetes and (ii) zombie knives.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office is working across government and with operational partners to develop our understanding of the threats and opportunities presented by artificial intelligence. The Home Office has already convened and will be convening further meetings to identify the best opportunities to use artificial intelligence to prevent and detect crime of various types. The use of artificial intelligence to predict and prevent serious violence is an operational matter for Chief Constables.
Knife crime is below its pre-pandemic level and the Home Office is investing over £110m to tackle serious violence in 2023/24. This includes:
We are also banning certain types of large knives (such as zombie style knives and machetes), giving the police more powers to seize dangerous weapons, creating a new offence of possession of a bladed weapon with an intent to harm, and increasing sentences for those who import, manufacture or sell dangerous weapons to under 18s.
Mentions:
1: Philip Davies (Con - Shipley) Will he confirm that knife crime would not be included and make sure that that is clear in the legislation - Speech Link
2: Alex Chalk (Con - Cheltenham) psychological harm to a particular individual or are in breach of a court order, such as for stalking prevention—as - Speech Link
3: Robert Neill (Con - Bromley and Chislehurst) Whole-life orders have been discussed. - Speech Link
4: Gareth Bacon (Con - Orpington) Having heard the points raised by several Members about knife crime, I will look closely at that issue.Our - Speech Link