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<p>The Government recognises the devastating impact that knife crime has on victims,
their families and the communities in which they live. We know that knife crime is
committed by criminals carrying a wide range of different knives. This is why the
law does not generally differentiate between knives, for example in relation to age
controls or possession offences.</p><p>The Government needs to strike the right balance
between allowing access to knives, for instance as tools, with the need to protect
the public from dangerous weapons. It is unclear whether knives with rounded tips
would necessarily cause less harm if used as weapons. We believe the controls we have
in place, which will be strengthened by the Offensive Weapons Bill, support this.</p>
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