Louie French MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup continues to press for a continued commitment to reduce knife crime, including through banning certain types of large knives and providing the police the powers to stop and search 

At Home Office Questions in the House of Commons Chamber, Louie French MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup welcomed the steps the Government are taking to close legal loopholes around the sale of zombie-style knives. Louie also pressed the Policing Minister on the use of new technology through scan and search as a powerful tool for the Police to get knives off the street and to save lives.

In response, the Policing Minister Chris Philp confirmed the Government have invested over £110 million in 2023-24 to fight knife crime, including investing in 20 violence reduction units, and funding hotspot policing in the most seriously affected areas. The Minister also confirmed the Government remains committed to closing the legal loopholes around the sale of zombie-style knives.

On stop and search, the Minister agreed that it is a vital tactic to keep our streets safe when used respectfully. The Minister highlighted that the Metropolitan Police take about 400 knives off the streets every month using stop and search in London alone.

The Minister also agreed that the use of scanning technology has huge potential to enable officers to scan people for knives at a distance without having to physically stop and search them and hopes this technology will be ready to deploy soon which Louie will continue to monitor closely.

You can watch Louie’s Home Office Question above or read here.