Violent Crime Young People 2024-10-21
2024-10-21
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The question arises from the high incidence of knife crime, particularly affecting young individuals in urban areas. The government has set a mission to halve knife crime over the next decade.
What steps her Department is taking to help prevent young people from becoming involved in violent crime. Knife crime takes far too many young lives in this country, so the Government have set a mission—not just for the Government but for policing and local communities right across the country—to halve knife crime over the next decade.
Knife crime takes far too many young lives in this country, so the Government have set a mission—not just for the Government but for policing and local communities right across the country—to halve knife crime over the next decade. As part of that, we have already implemented the ban on zombie knives and zombie-style machetes, and we will now act quickly to ban ninja swords following the campaigning by Pooja Kanda after the death of her son.
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Assessment & feedback
The specific ask about detailed steps taken to prevent young people from engaging in violent crime was not directly addressed; instead, general measures like banning certain types of knives were mentioned.
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
The issue of gang-associated girls being drawn into crime, particularly through rape and sexual exploitation, highlights a need for targeted support within existing programmes. Organisations such as Abianda and Milk Honey Bees work to provide this support.
I thank the Home Secretary for that reply on knife crime. I welcome the Government's commitment in the Young Futures programme to preventing young people from being drawn into crime. A number of gang-associated girls are drawn into crime, and although rape and sexual exploitation is such a traumatising experience, many of those young girls do not see themselves as victims. Fantastic organisations such as Abianda and Milk Honey Bees work to support women. Will the Department consider providing tailored support for young women through the Young Futures programme?
My hon. Friend makes an important point. I know that she has championed that issue over many years. The Young Futures programme will include youth hubs to draw together services around young people—I used the concept of a teenage Sure Start to bring young people's services together. We also need youth prevention programmes across all areas. She is right to highlight that this must be about young girls as well as young boys to ensure that we tackle the threats to young people's safety from violent crime.
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Assessment & feedback
The specific ask for tailored support for young women was not directly addressed; instead, a general statement on the importance of including young girls in prevention programmes was given.
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
The role of police and crime commissioners in providing local preventive measures is questioned, with a specific reference to Katie Bourne in Sussex. There is concern about the continuation of this support.
Helping young people to stay safe, and to have somewhere to go and, crucially, someone to talk to, is key to their transition in life, particularly to prevent them from being drawn into antisocial behaviour, retail crime and knife or gang-related crime. Could the Home Secretary confirm that, through devolution, there will be continued support for police and crime commissioners, such as Katie Bourne in Sussex, who can provide a direct link between residents' concerns about their young people and work with local police to take preventive measures?
Police and crime commissioners have a crucial role to play as part of the mission to reduce serious violence, as do local authorities. The hon. Lady is right that local partnerships will best be able to target young people who are at greatest risk, and ensure that proper prevention programmes are in place. As we know, many of those services have been hollowed out over a long period, and it is important that we have partnership working to rebuild them. I hope that we can work cross-party on that—not just with police and crime commissioners but with MPs across the country.
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Assessment & feedback
The specific ask for confirmation of continued support was not directly addressed; instead, a general statement about the importance of local partnerships and cross-party work was given.
Response accuracy