The Government remains committed to providing the resources needed to tackle violent crime. This includes taking firm action to protect the public by addressing the threat of criminals gaining access to illegal firearms including implementing legislation to prevent legally held firearms getting into the hands of criminals.<\/p>
In 2023/24 we allocated £55m to Violence Reduction Units, £12.9m to support delivery of the Serious Violence Duty and £30m to \u2018Grip\u2019 hotspot policing patrols to tackle serious violence. Work is ongoing to continue this activity in 2024/25.<\/p>
In the 2024 Spring Budget, the Chancellor committed an additional £75 million over 3-years from 2025 to upscale existing violence reduction units and expand activity across England and Wales, supporting a prevention first approach to serious violence.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4503", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chris Philp"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Croydon South"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Chris Philp"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-05-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-05-01T13:58:30.207Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-04-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Firearms and Knives: Crime"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he plans to provide additional funding to help tackle (a) knife and (b) gun crime.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4747", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Tahir Ali"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Birmingham, Hall Green"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Tahir Ali"} ], "uin" : "23306"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1203354", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1203354/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government\u2019s Serious Violence Strategy, published in April 2018, sets out our analysis of the trends and drivers behind rises in serious violence including gun and knife crime.<\/p>
<\/p>
We are clear that the police must have the powers and resources they need to tackle gun and knife crime, wherever it occurs.\u202f This is why we are recruiting 20,000 more police officers over the next three years and why the West Midlands police are receiving £620.4m in funding in 2020/21 \u2013 an increase of £49.1m on 2019/20.<\/p>
<\/p>
In addition, the Home Office has committed over £176.5 million over two years to address<\/p>
serious violence in the most affected 18 police force areas in England and Wales, which<\/p>
includes £104.9 million to pay for a surge in police operational activity, of which £12,601,485 has been allocated to West Midlands police. The remaining £70 million is being invested in multi-agency Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) over two financial years, with £6,740,000 of this going directly to the West Midlands VRU. The VRU brings together police, local government, health and education professionals, community leaders and other key partners to identify the drivers of serious violence and agree a multi-agency response.<\/p>
<\/p>
In relation to gun crime specifically, the Offensive Weapons Act 2019 has introduced a ban on certain rapid-firing rifles and we are introducing greater regulation of antique firearms to prevent their misuse by criminals. We have also consulted on statutory guidance on firearms licensing to improve standards and the consistency of police licensing decisions, and we have established a multi-agency national firearms threat assessment centre to improve our capability to disrupt the supply and use of illegal firearms by criminals and Organised Crime Groups.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Offensive Weapons Act 2019 also gives the police more powers to tackle knife crime and will make it more difficult for young people to get hold of knives in the first place. The Act<\/p>
introduces Knife Crime Prevention Orders which will help the police to steer those most at risk away from serious violence and knife crime, and we will be legislating to introduce new Serious Violence Reduction Orders to make it easier for the police to stop and search known knife<\/p>
carriers.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Serious Violence Strategy also puts an emphasis on prevention and early intervention. We are investing £200 million through the Youth Endowment Fund to invest in and evaluate early intervention projects and an additional £500 million over five years through the new Youth Investment Fund to build new youth centres, refurbish existing youth facilities, provide mobile facilities for harder to reach areas, and to invest in the youth work profession and frontline services.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4495", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kit Malthouse"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North West Hampshire"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kit Malthouse"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-06-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-06-17T16:19:29.003Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2020-06-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Firearms and Knives: Crime"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what resources she has allocated to (a) researching and (b) tackling the causes of gun and knife-related crimes in (i) Coventry, (ii) the West Midlands and (iii) England.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4786", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Zarah Sultana"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Coventry South"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Zarah Sultana"} ], "uin" : "59260"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1088338", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1088338/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "The Home Office collects data on the number of offences involving firearms or knives / sharp instruments recorded by the police in England and Wales at the Police Force Area level only. "} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1561", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Nick Hurd"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Nick Hurd"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-03-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-03-18T18:00:32.587Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-03-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Firearms and Knives: Crime"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of violent crimes that involved the use of a (a) firearm and (b) knife in (i) Coventry, (ii) the West Midlands and (iii) the UK in each year since 2010.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/308", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Coventry South"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Jim Cunningham"} ], "uin" : "231899"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1078599", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1078599/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Statistics on firearm offences and knife offences for the requested period are set out in the attached tables.<\/p>
September 2018, compared to an 8% increase in England and Wales as a whole. Since 2013/14, knife offences in Merseyside have increased by 43%, compared to a 61% increase in England and Wales over the same period.<\/p>
Police recorded crime data show that firearm offences (excluding air weapons) in Merseyside increased by 8% in the year to March 2018, a larger increase than for England Wales as a whole. The data show a negligible decrease (-0.9%) since 2013/14, opposed to a 34% increase for England and Wales over the same period.<\/p>
The Government is very concerned about increases in knife crime and gun crime nationally, and its impact on victims, families and communities. The action we are taking is set out in our Serious Violence Strategy and includes new legislation in the Offensive Weapons Bill and continuing police action on knife crime under Operation Sceptre. The Strategy includes a strong focus on prevention and early intervention to stop young people being drawn into violent crime.<\/p>
We are supporting early intervention and prevention with children and young people through the Early Intervention Youth Fund of £22 million, which is already supporting 29 projects across England and Wales. Over £17 million has already been allocated to projects delivering interventions to young people at risk of criminal involvement, gang exploitation and county lines. For example, a total of £700,000 has been awarded to an early intervention programme in Merseyside, involving a joint partnership between Everton in the Community, The Liverpool Foundation, the Princes Trust and The Shrewsbury House Youth Club. We are also supporting 68 small community projects this year through £1.5 million from the anti-knife crime Community Fund, of which four are in Merseyside.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1561", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Nick Hurd"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Nick Hurd"} , "attachment" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1078599/answer/attachment/1", "fileName" : {"_value" : "Tables Knife Crime & Fire Arms in E&W.xlsx"} , "title" : "Knife and Firearms Offences Stats - Tables "} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-03-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-03-07T18:45:08.093Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-02-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Firearms and Knives: Crime"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of gun and knife offences in Merseyside in each of the last five years.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/167", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Stephen Twigg"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Liverpool, West Derby"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Stephen Twigg"} ], "uin" : "226497"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1022999", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1022999/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1609", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chloe Smith"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Norwich North"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Chloe Smith"} , "attachment" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1022999/answer/attachment/1", "fileName" : {"_value" : "PQ200708.pdf"} , "title" : "UKSA Response"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-12-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-12-17T17:48:08.553Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "53"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-12-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Firearms and Knives: Crime"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many offences involving (a) a firearm and (b) a knife have been committed in (i) London and (ii) Lambeth since 2010.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4128", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chuka Umunna"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Streatham"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Chuka Umunna"} ], "uin" : "200708"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/987936", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/987936/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Home Office Ministers have regular discussions with law enforcement partners as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.<\/p>
Through the Serious Violence Strategy, launched in April 2018, the Government is taking a range of action to tackle knife and gun crime across England and Wales. This includes our national knife crime media campaign, #knifefree, new legislation to tighten our legislation on knives and firearms in the Offensive Weapons Bill and £1.5 million for the anti-knife crime Community Fund this year, which has funded four different projects in Merseyside. We also continue to encourage all police forces to participate in coordinated national weeks of action to tackle knife crime under Operation Sceptre. Merseyside Police took part in the most recent week of action which commenced on 17 September.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4399", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Victoria Atkins"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Louth and Horncastle"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Victoria Atkins"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-10-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-10-23T15:52:22.783Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-10-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Firearms and Knives: Crime"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions he has had with Merseyside Police on tackling knife and gun crime in Merseyside.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/483", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Maria Eagle"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Garston and Halewood"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Maria Eagle"} ], "uin" : "179133"} ], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 6, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]} }