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UK Parliament

Youth Select Committee 2019 to question the experts on knife crime

3 July 2019

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Ministers and Members of Parliament, alongside leading figures from the world of policing, crime and policy are among those giving evidence to the Youth Select Committee on 5 and 12 July as part of an inquiry into knife crime.

The inquiry comes as a result of a UK-wide ballot of 1.1 million young people aged 11 to 18, in which young people declared knife crime their biggest concern.

More than 100,000 people signed a Parliament and Government petition demanding a debate on knife crime- resulting in Parliament debating the issue in March. Research from the House of Commons Library showed that knife crime, particularly where it affects young people, has been a ‘persistent and growing concern' for successive governments.

Parliament's Youth Select Committee gives young people the opportunity to scrutinise and hold inquiries into topics that matter to them. Following a call for written evidence, the 2019 Youth Select Committee will be hearing from a range of witnesses on 5 and 12 July inside the Grimmond Room of the House of Commons, usually used by MPs.

Rachel Ojo, Chair of the Youth Select Committee from Essex, said:

“Young people have made it very clear that knife crime continues to be a significant concern.

“The Youth Select Committee want to hear from a whole range of people on this issue so we can find solutions that will have a demonstrable impact of the lives of young people.”

Rt. Hon John Bercow MP, Speaker of the House of Commons said:

“Every year the Youth Select Committee play a vital role in raising awareness about the issues affecting young people across the country.

“This year the Committee's determination to tackle the epidemic of knife crime is something that I wholly support. I will be following this pioneering Committee as they investigate the scourge of knife crime and I eagerly anticipate their report.”

Now in its eighth year, the Youth Select Committee is a British Youth Council initiative, supported by the House of Commons. The eleven members of the Youth Select Committee are aged 15-18 and include Members of the UK Youth Parliament, Youth Councillors, a Young Mayor and representatives from each of the devolved nations.
The two evidence sessions will be open to the public and broadcast live on Parliament TV and UK Parliament YouTube.

DAY 1: Friday 05 July – Grimond Room, Portcullis House

Watch the AM session on Parliament TV here.

Panel 1, 9.15am–10.15am: Overview and scale of the problem

  • Professor Fiona Brookman, Professor of Criminology and Director of the Centre for Criminology, University of South Wales
  • John Poyton, CEO, Redthread
  • Leroy Logan MBE, former Superintendent Metropolitan Police and advisor to the All Parliamentary Commission on Youth Violence

Break 10.15am-10.30am

Panel 2: 10.30am–11.30am: Government

  • Victoria Atkins MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Crime, Safeguarding and Vulnerability
  • Nick Hunt, Head of the Serious Violence Unit, Home Office

Lunch break 11.30am-12.30pm

Watch the PM session on Parliament TV here.

Panel 3: 12.30pm–1.30pm: Prevention focus

  • Hannah Chetwynd,  Risk Policy Officer, Children's Society
  • Nick Darvill, Programme Manager, DIVERT
  • Jonathan Toy, Operations Manager, Ben Kinsella Trust
    Rashid Bhayat, Founder, Positive Youth Foundation

Break 1.30-1.45pm

Panel 4: 1.45pm–2.45pm: Intervention focus

  • ACC Sarah Boycott, West Midlands Police
  • Superintendent Clive Davies, Surrey Police
  • Niven Rennie, Director, Scottish Violence Reduction Unit
  • Edward Timpson CBE, Author of Timpson review of school exclusion

DAY 2: Friday 12 July – Grimond Room, Portcullis House

Panel 1, 9.30am–10.30am: Media, culture and social influences

  • Sheldon Thomas, Founder and Chief Executive, Gangsline
  • Carlie Thomas, Senior Caseworker Rescue & Response, St Giles Trust
  •  Kwabz Oduro Ayim, CEO, Mixtape Madness

Break 10.30-10.45am

Panel 2, 10.45am–11.45am: Offender focus

  • Jeremy Crook OBE, Chief Executive, Black Training and Enterprise Group
  • Daniel Willis, Policy and Research Manager, Community Links
  • Matthew Scott, Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent
  • Iman Haji, Research & Programme Coordinator, Khulisa

Lunch break 11.45am-12.45pm

Panel 3: 12.45pm–1.45pm:  Policy development

  • Vicky Foxcroft MP, Chair, Youth Violence Commission
  • Dr Keir Irwin-Rogers, Lecturer in Criminology The Open University and advisor to the All Parliamentary Commission on Youth Violence
  • Sarah Jones MP, Founder and Chair, APPG on Knife Crime

Break 1.45pm-2pm

Panel 4: 2pm–3pm: Young people: solutions and strategies

  • Witnesses TBC

Find out how you can get involved in the Youth Select Committee here.

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