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Knife and Sword Ban
06 February 2024
Lead MP
Lindsay Hoyle
Chorley
Speaker
Debate Type
General Debate
Tags
No tags
Other Contributors: 32
At a Glance
Lindsay Hoyle raised concerns about knife and sword ban in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lindsay Hoyle
Speaker
Chorley
Before we begin the debate on banning knives and swords from UK streets, I remind hon. Members that, under the terms of the House resolution on sub judice matters, they should not refer to any individual cases that are currently before the courts.
Ronan Kanda's family supporters
Lab Co-op
Nottingham North
Campaign for the banning of ninja swords after their son was killed with one.
Nottingham North
Supporting calls for action on knife crime, highlighting recent tragic cases involving victims in their community.
Alistair Carmichael
Lib Dem
Orkney and Shetland
Suggests a public health and social problem approach, akin to the Scottish violence reduction unit, questioning if playing whack-a-mole is sufficient.
Alex Cunningham
Lab Co-op
Stockton North
Highlights the highest crime rate under Conservative leadership in Cleveland, urging for more action beyond rhetoric.
Mark Pritchard
Con
The Wrekin
Calls for cross-party consensus and action, suggests stop and search has a part to play but banning weapons is a start.
Sarah Dyke
Lib Dem
Glastonbury and Somerton
Raises the issue of sentencing disparity for domestic violence murders versus those who bring weapons into crime scenes.
Kim Johnson
Lab Co-op
Liverpool Riverside
Supports calls from parents whose children were killed by knife crime, calling for stronger sentences and deterrence.
Rushanara Ali
Lab Co-op
Bethnal Green and Stepney
Emphasises the importance of mentoring young people and providing positive role models to prevent violent crime.
Alison Thewliss
SNP
Glasgow Central
References successful interventions by Medics Against Violence in hospitals for exiting violence.
Louie French
Con
Old Bexley and Sidcup
Questions the absence of the Mayor of London at a summit on knife crime, suggesting more cohesive collaboration is needed.
Dorset South
The Government's work to fight crime, including reducing weapons on the streets. He cited a 25% reduction in hospital admissions of under-25s following an assault with a sharp object since December 2019 and mentioned that violent crime has reduced by 51% since 2010. Michael Tomlinson also highlighted the recruitment drive for 20,000 extra police officers and praised the effectiveness of stop and search measures, noting that these have resulted in the removal of over 15,000 weapons and firearms from streets in 2022-23 alone. He emphasised the importance of violence reduction units and the Grip hotspot patrols programme, stating they had prevented more than 3,200 hospital admissions for violent injuries since 2019.
Munira Wilson
Lib Dem
Twickenham
Expressed concern over an increase in knife crime and asked for assurances regarding the uplift of police officers in areas like Richmond upon Thames. She questioned the Government's intelligence-led community policing efforts, especially given the reduction of police community support officers by a third since 2015.
Mark Pritchard
Con
The Wrekin
Asked for clarification on the Government’s stance regarding criminal liability for senior management of websites that indirectly sell illegal knives online, in relation to the upcoming Criminal Justice Bill. He criticised the Opposition's motion as being too generic and adversarial.
Sally-Ann Hart
Con
Hastings and Rye
Emphasised the importance of trust between communities and law enforcement, socioeconomic factors, gang activity, county lines drug trade, and social media influence in addressing knife crime. She agreed that while tough sentences are necessary, building community relationships is equally important.
Rother Valley
Asked for support to use underspent police budgets to reopen local police stations, believing this would enhance community policing efforts and improve public safety in his area.
Yvette Cooper
Lab
Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley
Pressed the Government on specific issues related to online knife sales and asked for a new consultation on including ninja swords in the ban. She suggested that such an agreement would represent significant progress.
Karin Smyth
Lab
Bristol South
Ms. Smyth rose to speak about the tragic deaths of two teenage boys in her constituency and highlighted the lack of resources in communities due to political decisions since 2010. She emphasised the need for Government support to bring back resources, youth services, mental health support, and street cleaning initiatives to prevent crime and ensure young people's safety.
Ms. Aiken shared a personal experience of her son being mugged by youths wearing balaclavas and carrying knives. She stressed that knife crime does not discriminate based on socioeconomic status and affects all communities, noting the high number of knife or sharp instrument offences recorded in Westminster. She cited a specific case from 11 years ago involving a teenager murdered in Pimlico.
Kim Leadbeater
Lab
Spen Valley
Serious violence, including knife crime, is a critical issue affecting many constituencies. Knife crime has risen by 77% since 2015. In Batley and Spen, two families have been deeply affected: Robert Wilson was stabbed to death in January 2020 outside his factory; Bradley Gledhill was attacked and killed in June 2020. Families are campaigning to raise awareness of knife crime's consequences through initiatives like the 'Bin the Blades' campaign and a short film project with schools. Labour proposes a five-point plan that includes tougher penalties, more officers on streets, early intervention, mental health programmes, tackling gangs, and reducing weapon availability.
Eleanor Laing
Con
13:41:00
Acknowledges the courage of Kim Leadbeater in speaking about her sister's sacrifice. Criticises Labour for its political approach to knife crime, pointing out that only London and the west midlands have seen significant increases, where Labour runs police and crime commissions. Argues that when Labour was in power, their rhetoric on being tough on crime did not match reality. She highlights Bexley’s consistently low crime rates under Conservative leadership but notes recent fears about knife and gang crime. Emphasises that London's violent crime has risen since Sadiq Khan became Mayor and criticises his pledge to cut stop and search.
Lyn Brown
Lab
West Ham
Critiques the current approach to knife crime, highlighting specific incidents in her constituency such as the death of Rahaan Ahmed Amin. Calls for a ban on ninja swords and better enforcement of existing laws. Advocates for addressing root causes through disrupting organised criminal networks involved in child exploitation.
Steve Tuckwell
Con
Uxbridge and South Ruislip
Acknowledges progress made by the Government, such as taking 120,000 knives off streets over four years. Supports longer custodial sentences, seizure of weapons in suspects' homes, hotspot policing, and stop and search. Criticises the Mayor of London for U-turning on police station closures and rising knife crime figures since his tenure began.
Birmingham Erdington
The past decade has seen a significant cut of 21,000 police officers and a rise of 77% in knife crime. The Government's serious violence strategy is outdated and the taskforce disbanded. With only one weapon surrender bin for my constituency despite high rates of knife crime, funding cuts are severely impacting efforts to prevent youth involvement in crime.
Joyce, a mother who lost her son to knife crime, advocates a tough, zero-tolerance approach. Andrew Bowley was stabbed five times and dedicated his life to raising awareness about the consequences of carrying knives. The Criminal Justice Bill will create new offences for carrying knives, aiming for a custodial sentence. It is crucial that young people understand the severe repercussions of carrying a knife.
Rachel Hopkins
Lab
Luton South and South Bedfordshire
Hopkins supports Labour's motion, pressing the government to strengthen their legislation on dangerous knives. She highlights that knife crime has increased by more than 77% under the Conservatives since 2015. She advocates for a Young Futures early intervention programme, which aims to identify young people at risk and provide joined-up support through youth hubs and mental health services.
Zarah Sultana
Your Party
Coventry South
Ms Sultana argued that the high rates of knife crime in the West Midlands, with 178 offences per 100,000 people compared to just 35 in North Yorkshire, underscore the need for a public health approach rather than a simple law and order response. She pointed out that Glasgow’s success in reducing violent crime through early intervention and support programmes offers a model for tackling knife crime effectively. Furthermore, she stressed that while providing alternatives and opportunities is crucial, addressing poverty and inequality also plays a critical role.
Paul Bristow
Your Party
Mr Bristow questioned Ms Sultana about the balance between offering support to at-risk youth and enforcing strict deterrents for those caught carrying knives or offensive weapons, suggesting that custodial sentences might be appropriate in certain cases.
Sarah Owen
Lab
Luton North
Ms Owen emphasised that knife crime has become a national crisis, increasing by 77% since 2015 and devastating families in her constituency. She highlighted the tragic case of Ashraf Habimana, killed at age 16, and another victim, Humza Hussain. She called for more action from the government on child exploitation and early intervention to support young people who might otherwise fall into knife crime. Owen criticised the Government's lack of funding for community initiatives such as policing, youth centres, and mental health support, which she believes are essential in addressing the root causes of knife crime.
Feryal Clark
Lab
Enfield North
Discussed the rise in knife crime across Britain, with specific mention of a case involving a zombie knife in her constituency. Criticised the Government for not delivering on their promise to keep communities safe and emphasised the need for a full ban on dangerous knives and swords, including ninja swords. Highlighted instances where online purchases were made without proper identification and called for immediate action from the Government.
Yvette Cooper
Lab
Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley
Cited ONS data stating that police recorded crime provides better measures for higher-harm but less common types of violence like knife-enabled crime. She challenged the Minister's assertion about the accuracy of these figures.
Sarah Owen
Lab
Luton North
Asked the Minister to acknowledge that under-reporting, particularly among young people, means that the 77% figure is likely an underestimate. She expressed frustration at the Government's claim of a reduction in knife crime.
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