Written question asked by Lady Hermon (Ulster Unionist Party) on Monday, 2 June 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 4 June 2008. It was answered by Lord Coaker (Labour) on Tuesday, 17 June 2008 on behalf of the Home Office.

Offensive Weapons

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment has been made of the effect of increasing maximum sentences for knife crime on the number of offences committed.

Answer: The maximum sentence for possession of a knife or sharp instrument in public was increased from two to four years as part of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 and came into force in April 2007. The Government considered that it was necessary to make sure that there was a clear message about the seriousness with which knife possession should be considered, reinforced by the announcement on 5 June that all those aged 16 and over caught in possession of a knife should expect to be charged.Figures for having an article with a blade or point in a public place show that in 2006, 6232 people were convicted, an increase of 5 per cent. on the previous year. Data relating to 2007-08, covering the period following the increase in the maximum sentence, are not yet available.

Secondary information