Continued focus on knife crime with urgent question in the Commons
7 March 2019 (updated on 7 March 2019)
Following an earlier urgent question this week, the Shadow Home Secretary presses for further Government action to tackle knife crime.
On Monday 4 March 2019, the Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, gave a statement in response to an urgent question on knife crime. He expressed his concern and condolences in the wake of a wave of knife related deaths and promised that his department were working on measures to combat what many are calling a crisis.
- Watch Parliament TV: urgent question on knife crime (Monday 4 March)
- Read Commons Hansard: urgent question on knife crime (Monday 4 March)
Mr Javid said that "there is no one single solution" and that among other actions, the Home Office would be launching a consultation on a new statutory public health duty to combat violent crime.
MPs responding to the statement called on the Prime Minister to step up and engage with the issue, with some suggesting that she call an emergency Cobra committee; a Cabinet mechanism designed to combat emergencies.
Following up on Monday's urgent question, Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott asked the Government to make a further statement.
The Minister responding, Victoria Atkins said, "there is no denying the urgency of this issue. Day in, day out, we are acting to end the bloodshed."
Ms Abbott responded for the Opposition, saying:
"For families and communities up and down the country, this is not just a few days newspaper stories, this is their lives. Every mother's worst nightmare."
- Watch Parliament TV: urgent question on knife crime
- Read Commons Hansard: urgent question on knife crime
- Read Commons Library briefing on knives and offensive weapons
Image: Thomas Nugent via Geograph
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