Tackling knife crime is a priority for the Government. Our Modern Crime Prevention Strategy published in March 2016 set out a range of measures to strengthen our response to knife crime. Our work to tackle knife crime is centred on four key strands \u2013 working with the police on operations and enforcement, work on legislative framework, work with retailers on responsible sales, and early intervention and prevention.<\/p>
<\/p>
We are taking firm action including encouraging police forces to undertake a series of coordinated national weeks of action to tackle knife crime under Operation Sceptre. The operation includes targeting habitual knife carriers, weapon sweeps, test purchases of knives from identified retailers, and the use of surrender bins. The Home Office hosted a national briefing event for police forces on Operation Sceptre on 14 June and a record twenty nine police forces are expected to be involved in the next week of action planned for mid July.<\/p>
<\/p>
Local authorities are responsible for assessing need for youth services and allocating funding. The Government is supporting local authorities and the youth sector by investing to help youth organisations demonstrate their impact. The Government is investing in the National Citizen Service, investing up to £80 million through the \u2018# iwill\u2019 social action campaign and \u2018Youth Investment Funds\u2019 to help young people develop skills, improve their wellbeing and contribute to their communities. The Government is also investing in the \u2018Delivering Differently for Young People\u2019 programme, which helped local authorities develop new models for delivering on their statutory duty to provide positive activities for young people.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4311", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Williams of Trafford"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-07-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-07-17T15:51:33.987Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-07-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "Her Majesty's Government what priority they attach to reducing the increasing levels of knife crime; and when they intend to restore spending levels for youth services to assist local initiatives in this area.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2170", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Ouseley"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Ouseley"} ], "uin" : "HL402"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/747439", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/747439/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
We are already working to deliver the commitments on equalities made in the Queen\u2019s Speech, including bringing forward legislation to protect the victims of domestic violence and abuse, making further progress to tackle pay gaps, reforming mental health legislation and strengthening enforcement of the Equality Act 2010.<\/p>
<\/p>
We will announce our detailed plans and intended timetables in due course. <\/em><\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4270", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Nash"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Nash"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-07-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-07-24T14:33:11.597Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2017-07-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "Her Majesty's Government how, and when, they intend to honour the pledge in the Queen's Speech \"to make progress to tackle discrimination against people on the basis of their race, faith, gender, disability or sexual orientation\".", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2170", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Ouseley"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Ouseley"}
], "uin" : "HL403"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/747440", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/747440/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Government maintains a Shortage Occupation List, based on expert advice from the independent Migration Advisory Committee. The list comprises skilled jobs, including public sector roles, where there is an identified national shortage. Jobs on the list are given priority when allocating places within the Tier 2 immigration limit.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4311", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Williams of Trafford"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-07-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-07-12T11:47:05.12Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2017-07-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "Her Majesty's Government whether, in the light of staff shortages in the key areas of teaching and the NHS, they intend to remove public service jobs from the immigration cap.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2170", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Ouseley"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Ouseley"}
], "uin" : "HL404"}
], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 3, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]}
}