Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education on the steps schools can take to reduce the number of young people joining gangs.

The Government’s Manifesto set out ambitious reforms to tackle crime, including gang activity, serious violence, and county lines. The Prime Minister and Home Secretary are driving a united government response with a new cross-Whitehall Crime and Justice Task Force to ensure we use every lever at our disposal to fight crime, with clear commitments and Ministerial representation from the Department for Education.

In addition:

• Relationships, Sex and Health Education will become compulsory from September. Schools can build on the core content to address local issues such as gang activity and recognising and avoiding exploitative relationships.
• DfE are implementing the recommendations from the Children in Need review so that vulnerable children are seen, and their needs are recognised. At the PM's Hidden Harms Summit (May 2020), DfE announced nearly £10m for the What Works for Children’s Social Care to test a range of interventions to improve the outcomes for children in need, including £6.5 million to expand and further test embedding social workers in more than 150 schools in 21 local authorities.

Schools, AP and colleges are also working closely with Violence Reduction Units around the country to prevent involvement in serious violence and gang activity.