Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the efficacy of knife crime amnesty provisions in England and Wales.

Knife amnesties are an operational matter for chief constables. Tackling knife crime is a priority for the Government and we have encouraged police forces to undertake a series of coordinated weeks of action to tackle knife crime under Operation Sceptre. Action under Operation Sceptre includes police forces targeting habitual knife carriers, weapon sweeps, test purchases of knives from retailers, and the use of surrender bins. Twenty-five forces took part in the latest week of action in October 2016.