Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2021 to Question 18468 on Knives: Sales, if she will introduce a licensing scheme for the possession of machetes.

The majority of machete owners use them for legitimate reasons such as gardening, camping or agricultural use. It is an offence to sell any machete to a person who is under the age of 18. In addition, possessing a machete in a public place without lawful authority or good reason is also an offence with a maximum penalty of 4 years imprisonment.

Where a machete is misused as a weapon, there are a range of offences that the offender may be charged with, such as causing grievous bodily harm. These can result in lengthy sentences, including life imprisonment in instances of murder.

We continue to keep the legislation in this area under review.

In 2021 we banned a whole range of knives weapons and firearms and existing legislation prohibits possession of any machete or large knife in a public place without good reason. We are always working with police to see what further action is needed to take deadly weapons off the street.