← Back to Westminster Hall Debates
Knife Crime
15 October 2025
Lead MP
Lee Anderson
Ashfield
Reform
Responding Minister
Sarah Jones
Tags
Crime & Law EnforcementJustice & Courts
Word Count: 14222
Other Contributors: 17
At a Glance
Lee Anderson raised concerns about knife crime in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
Calls for stronger action to reduce knife crime and save lives, including questioning the effectiveness of current measures such as metal detectors in schools and stop and search policies.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Knife crime in England and Wales has been rising for years, doubling from over 27,000 recorded offences in 2014 to over 52,000 by 2019. Last year, there were more than 50,000 such offences—an increase of 4.4% from the previous year. Some 41% of all homicides in 2022-23 involved a knife or similar weapon.
Adam Dance
LD
Yeovil
Asked for more funding for community policing in rural areas like Yeovil to combat rising knife crime.
Danny Kruger
Reform
East Wiltshire
Acknowledged that knife crime is a serious problem, especially in London. Emphasised the need for clearer and sterner punishments for carrying weapons to increase the deterrent effect of the justice system. The hon. Member for Brent East (Dawn Butler) mentioned the public health approach to knife crime, but Danny Kruger argued that it might be an excuse not to address moral challenges and family stability.
Dawn Butler
Lab
Brent East
Highlighted the effectiveness of early intervention units in reducing knife crimes in her constituency and advocated for a public health approach to combat knife crime. Discussed the effectiveness of stop and search based on data, mentioning a 10% success rate in August 2024 compared to 25% in August 2025.
Jim McMahon
Lab/Co-op
Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton
Greater Manchester police have run the forever amnesty since 2020, taking thousands of weapons off the streets. The hon. Member called for stronger safeguarding and prevention measures to protect young people most at risk as both offenders and victims. He highlighted that young people should feel safe at home, but online platforms allow threats and intimidation to follow them 24/7.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Discussed the rise of knife crime in Northern Ireland, providing statistics on violent offences involving knives and highlighting personal experiences with shop violence.
Lee Anderson
Lab
Ashfield
Thanked Ms McVey for handling the debate with dignity and mentioned Sir David Amess. Encouraged by the Minister's response.
Dwyfor Meirionnydd
Highlights lower rates of knife crime in Dyfed-Powys and North Wales compared to other regions, attributing this to school officers providing education on the realities of crime.
Luke Taylor
LD
Sutton and Cheam
Highlights that violent crime has fallen by 6% in London over the past year and calls for a public health approach to knife crime, emphasizing the need for youth diversion schemes and proper funding. Stressed the importance of early intervention schemes and a range of services to address knife crime as a health issue, criticising the lack of political buy-in and funding for such initiatives.
Stratford-on-Avon
Supports a campaign for bleed control kits in late-night venues and urges the Government to support Cody Fisher's family’s efforts to prevent heartbreak from knife crime.
Matt Vickers
Con
Stockton West
Acknowledged the tragic impact of knife crime and called on the Government to outline methods to achieve its ambition of reducing knife crime by half. He also highlighted the concentration of offences in hotspots, particularly London.
Bayo Alaba
Lab
Southend East and Rochford
Shared personal experiences with knife crime, mentioning the need for prevention measures like Young Futures hubs and support through the Crime and Policing Bill.
Neil Coyle
Lab
Bermondsey and Old Southwark
Welcomes efforts to reduce knife crime through public health approaches, citing reductions in London due to the Mayor's initiatives. Raises a point of order regarding incorrect figures presented about knife crime in London.
Richard Tice
Reform
Boston and Skegness
Illustrates the issue with an incident where a man was found not guilty of carrying a lethal weapon despite being arrested, questioning the consistency in applying laws as a deterrent.
Sarah Pochin
Reform
Runcorn and Helsby
Sarah Pochin discussed her 20 years as a magistrate in Cheshire, noting an increase in knife crime by 7% year on year from March 2024 to March 2025. She emphasized the need for courts to enforce mandatory six-month custodial sentences and supported robust stop and search policies. Argued for data-led stop and search, the importance of funding for intelligence work on drug gangs, swift justice, and highlighted the anniversary of David Amess's murder.
Tom Hayes
Lab
Bournemouth East
In Dorset, there are 39 knife-related incidents per 100,000 people, which is more than half below the national average. The hon. Member highlighted the tragic case of Cameron Hamilton and supported the mission of the organisation Changes Are Made to put lives before knives.
Warinder Juss
Lab
Wolverhampton West
My hon. Friend highlighted that social isolation and a lack of opportunities can cause knife crime, and agreed with the need for well-funded youth services to empower young people and foster community safety. Warinder Juss briefly contributed, though his exact words were not provided in the transcript. Stressed the need to enable young people to make the right choices in life rather than focusing solely on deterrence through sentencing.
Will Stone
Lab
Swindon North
Acknowledges the debate on knife crime and states that although they may not agree on how to fix it, everyone wants to sort out the issue. Will Stone agreed with Danny Kruger on stable families being important but highlighted his own experience from a single-parent family where youth clubs kept him out of trouble, suggesting the state's role in supporting such initiatives.
Government Response
Sarah Jones
The Minister for Policing and Crime
Government Response
Introduced tougher rules for online retailers selling knives, with a penalty of two years’ imprisonment if they sell to minors. Knife-enabled homicides fell by 23% in the year ending March 2025; hospital admissions for sharp object assaults dropped by 10%; and police-recorded knife-enabled assault dropped by 4%. In the top seven police force areas, a taskforce has turned a 14% increase in offence levels into a 10% reduction. Discussed county lines, knife crime reduction through focused policing, changing laws with new offences, sentencing changes to deter knife crime, supported the police's efforts.
▸
Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy
About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.