The Home Office works internally and with Government departments who own policy responsibility for the importation of specific types of prohibited and restricted goods. Border controls are implemented in line with legislation and government policy and initiatives.

The Government did not fund and provide surrender bins prior to 2025, when the Government funded 37 surrender bins, with 33 bins located in London, 1 in Greater Manchester and 3 in the West Midlands to support the extended knife surrender scheme held in July last year.

A total of 2,787 knives and weapons were deposited in the surrender bins.

Since the installation, one bin in London has been vandalised by graffiti.

The maintenance costs in 2025/26 for the surrender bins is £32,500 which includes the collection and disposal of surrendered weapons.

In relation to the impact of the surrender bins, the data the Government published demonstrates that they are being well used. The Government promoted the use of the surrender bins during the extended surrender arrangements and is continuing to encourage their use through engagement with the relevant local authorities and community safety leads.

The Government did not fund and provide surrender bins prior to 2025, when the Government funded 37 surrender bins, with 33 bins located in London, 1 in Greater Manchester and 3 in the West Midlands to support the extended knife surrender scheme held in July last year.

A total of 2,787 knives and weapons were deposited in the surrender bins.

Since the installation, one bin in London has been vandalised by graffiti.

The maintenance costs in 2025/26 for the surrender bins is £32,500 which includes the collection and disposal of surrendered weapons.

In relation to the impact of the surrender bins, the data the Government published demonstrates that they are being well used. The Government promoted the use of the surrender bins during the extended surrender arrangements and is continuing to encourage their use through engagement with the relevant local authorities and community safety leads.

The Government did not fund and provide surrender bins prior to 2025, when the Government funded 37 surrender bins, with 33 bins located in London, 1 in Greater Manchester and 3 in the West Midlands to support the extended knife surrender scheme held in July last year.

A total of 2,787 knives and weapons were deposited in the surrender bins.

Since the installation, one bin in London has been vandalised by graffiti.

The maintenance costs in 2025/26 for the surrender bins is £32,500 which includes the collection and disposal of surrendered weapons.

In relation to the impact of the surrender bins, the data the Government published demonstrates that they are being well used. The Government promoted the use of the surrender bins during the extended surrender arrangements and is continuing to encourage their use through engagement with the relevant local authorities and community safety leads.

The Government did not fund and provide surrender bins prior to 2025, when the Government funded 37 surrender bins, with 33 bins located in London, 1 in Greater Manchester and 3 in the West Midlands to support the extended knife surrender scheme held in July last year.

A total of 2,787 knives and weapons were deposited in the surrender bins.

Since the installation, one bin in London has been vandalised by graffiti.

The maintenance costs in 2025/26 for the surrender bins is £32,500 which includes the collection and disposal of surrendered weapons.

In relation to the impact of the surrender bins, the data the Government published demonstrates that they are being well used. The Government promoted the use of the surrender bins during the extended surrender arrangements and is continuing to encourage their use through engagement with the relevant local authorities and community safety leads.

The Government did not fund and provide surrender bins prior to 2025, when the Government funded 37 surrender bins, with 33 bins located in London, 1 in Greater Manchester and 3 in the West Midlands to support the extended knife surrender scheme held in July last year.

A total of 2,787 knives and weapons were deposited in the surrender bins.

Since the installation, one bin in London has been vandalised by graffiti.

The maintenance costs in 2025/26 for the surrender bins is £32,500 which includes the collection and disposal of surrendered weapons.

In relation to the impact of the surrender bins, the data the Government published demonstrates that they are being well used. The Government promoted the use of the surrender bins during the extended surrender arrangements and is continuing to encourage their use through engagement with the relevant local authorities and community safety leads.

The Government did not fund and provide surrender bins prior to 2025, when the Government funded 37 surrender bins, with 33 bins located in London, 1 in Greater Manchester and 3 in the West Midlands to support the extended knife surrender scheme held in July last year.

A total of 2,787 knives and weapons were deposited in the surrender bins.

Since the installation, one bin in London has been vandalised by graffiti.

The maintenance costs in 2025/26 for the surrender bins is £32,500 which includes the collection and disposal of surrendered weapons.

In relation to the impact of the surrender bins, the data the Government published demonstrates that they are being well used. The Government promoted the use of the surrender bins during the extended surrender arrangements and is continuing to encourage their use through engagement with the relevant local authorities and community safety leads.

The Government continues to encourage police forces to undertake a series of coordinated national weeks of action to tackle knife crime under Operation Sceptre. In 2025 police have delivered two national weeks of intensification in May and November, and the data and operational results from these are owned and held by the police.

The Government ran an extended knife surrender arrangement in July 2025 in various areas in the West Midlands, Greater Manchester and London. This allowed members of the public to surrender weapons anonymously at a mobile surrender van operated by FazAmnesty and in 37 new surrender bins installed by Word 4 Weapons with Home Office funding.

A total of 3,570 knives and weapons were surrendered through these arrangements. The figures were set out in a Written Ministerial Statement on 30 October: Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament

Across police operations, border seizures and knife surrender schemes this Government has already seen nearly 60,000 knives taken off our streets.

The Government is operating extended surrender arrangements throughout July focused on Greater London, West Midlands and Greater Manchester, as the three highest areas of knife crime in England and Wales. These arrangements involve a mobile surrender van which is being operated by the charity Faz Amnesty to allow people to anonymously surrender knives and weapons along with the provision of surrender bins in partnership with the charity Word 4 Weapons. Faz Amnesty will be looking to work across wider locations in the future.

We are also running a separate surrender and compensation scheme to allow the public to surrender ninja swords and claim compensation at designated police stations across England and Wales. The list of designated police stations, including those within Thames Valley Police is available on Gov.UK at: Ninja sword surrender and compensation scheme - GOV.UK

Between 26 August 2024 and 23 September 2024, the Government ran a surrender and compensation scheme to allow owners of zombie-style knives and zombie-style machetes to surrender them and claim compensation before these weapons became prohibited by law on 24 September 2024.

All police force areas in England and Wales designated specific police stations where weapons could be surrendered, and a list of the designated police stations was published at:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66c8a1f099faef7c8c117834/Zombie-Style_Knives_-_List_of_Designated_Police_Stations.pdf

This Government is working with its new Coalition to tackle knife crime on the design of future surrender and compensation schemes.

The scheme required those surrendering a weapon to attend a designated police station where a staff member or police officer would take control of the weapon, and if the person was claiming compensation, their details would be taken.

We will be shortly publishing the outcome of the surrender and compensationscheme for zombie style knives and machetes. This will include the numbers surrendered under the scheme.

We have no plans to consult on a general knife amnesty.

The Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Offensive Weapons) (Amendment, Surrender and Compensation) Order 2024 came in to force on 24 September 2024 and it is now unlawful to sell, supply, manufacture or possess zombie-style knives or zombie-style machetes. Prior to the legislation coming in to force we ran a surrender and compensation scheme between 26 August 2024 and 23 September 2024 to allow owners to surrender these items safely at designated police stations.

We will also introduce a ban on Ninja swords as soon as possible. We will be launching a consultation about this shortly and plan to introduce the legislation after the conclusion of that consultation when Parliamentary time allows.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Many police forces provide amnesty bins all year round to provide the public with a facility to safely dispose of unwanted knives and other offensive weapons. It is for Chief Constables, directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and Mayors with PCC functions to make operational decisions including how to allocate resources based on their local knowledge and experience.

The Government continues to encourage police forces to undertake a series of coordinated national weeks of action to tackle knife crime under Operation Sceptre. The operation includes targeted stop and searches, weapon sweeps of hotspot areas, surrender of knives, including through amnesty bins, test purchases of knives from retailers, and educational events. The latest phase of the operation took place between 13 to 19 November 2023 and saw 12,149 knives surrendered or recovered.

On 25 January we laid the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Offensive Weapons) (Amendment, Surrender and Compensation) Order 2024 in Parliament. Subject to parliamentary approval, this will prohibit the manufacture, supply, sale and possession of zombie-style knives and machetes in England and Wales from 24 September 2024. From 26 August 2024 to 23 September 2024 we will be running a surrender and compensation scheme so that those who own zombie-style knives and machetes which will be banned, can surrender them and receive compensation.