Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many children were (1) convicted of knife possession, (2) convicted of a second offence of knife possession, and (3) sentenced to custody for knife possession offences, in each month between July 2014 and November 2015 inclusive, broken down by ethnicity and by age group.

The data requested is set out in the table below. Data from October and November 2015 will be available after figures for this period have been published in the knife possession sentencing quarterly statistics on www.gov.uk. The figures in the tables will be subject to change as the cases that are currently in the system eventually reach a court outcome.

In July 2015, a new minimum custodial sentence for repeat knife possession came into force. Out of the 456 days covered by this data, there were just 76 days in which the minimum sentence was applicable. The average time from charge to court outcome is 86 days, so it is unlikely that any repeat possession offences could be tried under the new legislation.

Table 1 shows the number of juvenile cautioning and sentencing occasions for knife possession offences by age group for each month between July 2014 and September 2015.

Table 2 shows the number of juvenile cautioning and sentencing occasions for knife possession offences, where the juvenile has one previous caution or conviction for the possession of a knife or offensive weapon, by age group for each month between July 2014 and September 2015.

Table 3 shows the number of juvenile sentencing occasions for knife possession offences resulting in an immediate custodial sentence by age group for each month between July 2014 and September 2015.

Table 4 shows the number of juvenile cautioning and sentencing occasions for knife possession offences by ethnic appearance for each month between July 2014 and September 2015.

Table 5 shows the number of juvenile cautioning and sentencing occasions for knife possession offences, where the juvenile has one previous caution or conviction for the possession of a knife or offensive weapon, by ethnic appearance for each month between July 2014 and September 2015.

Table 6 shows the number of juvenile sentencing occasions for knife possession offences resulting in an immediate custodial sentence by ethnic appearance for each month between July 2014 and September 2015.