Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to introduce mandatory prison sentences for carrying bladed articles.

This Government is committed to tackling knife crime as a priority. We are clear that those who carry knives unlawfully must face serious consequences, and that sentencing must reflect the harm these offences cause to victims and communities.

In recognition of the seriousness of offences related to knives, the courts already have robust powers to deal with knife-related offences. The maximum sentence for possession of a bladed article or threatening with an offensive weapon is 4 years’ imprisonment. The law also provides for minimum custodial sentences for repeat knife possession and for threatening with a weapon. Adults convicted of a second or subsequent possession offence face a minimum of six months in custody, while those aged 16 or 17 face a four-month Detention and Training Order. Where someone is actually harmed by a knife or offensive 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, up to life imprisonment.

Minimum and mandatory sentences are also rare in England and Wales. This is because it is, rightly, the function of the independent judiciary to decide the sentence in each case subject to the maximum that Parliament has provided and any relevant Sentencing Guidelines published by the Sentencing Council.

The existing framework provides the right balance between ensuring robust penalties for knife crime, and allowing courts to tailor sentences to the individual case.