Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to section 42 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026, which excludes a knife that does not have a sharp point and is designed for eating food from the bulk-sale reporting requirements, for what reason her Department did not make an equivalent exclusion from the age-verification requirements for remote sales under section 32 of that Act; and if she will make it her policy to ensure that non-pointed cutlery knives designed for eating food are excluded from those requirements before they come into force.

The Government is committed to legislation around knife sales which helps ensure that knives do not fall into the hands of those aged under 18. The measures in the Crime and Policing Act 2026 in respect of the reporting of online bulk sales of knives and the strengthening of age verification requirements for online sales of knives will ensure we have robust controls on knives. The measures in the Crime and Policing Act 2026 are likely to be commenced next Spring.

Non-pointed cutlery knives have been specifically excluded from the new reporting requirements for online bulk sales of knives in section 42 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026. No similar provision was made in section 32 of the 2026 Act for the new age verification checks for online sale and delivery of knives.

However, we are aware of the argument that non-pointed cutlery knives, designed for eating food, present a lower risk to the public and the law should be amended. Such a change could be made via secondary legislation, and we are carefully considering representations made by retailers about whether there could be changes to legislation.