Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the incidence of knife crime amongst young males in London.

The independent Crime Survey for England and Wales shows that crime has fallen by more than a quarter since June 2010. While better police recording of violent crime appears to have led to a recent statistical rise, knife crime offences remain 18% below the level in the year to June 2010 and figures for London show that knife crime offences are now 24% lower than June 2010. In the year ending March 2015, the Metropolitan police recorded 9,623 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument, a 4% decrease compared with the previous year (10,012 in year ending March 2014). Police forces do not break down offence data by age.

We are taking a range of steps to tackle knife crime, including working with police forces and other key partners through the Ending Gang and Youth Violence programme, including in 25 London boroughs. We have also strengthened the law in this area, and in July 2015, we brought into force the new legislative provision that anyone caught in possession of a knife for a second time will now face a mandatory minimum sentence in prison or youth custody.