§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will take further action to reduce the use of knives as offensive weapons;
(2) if he will bring forward proposals to tighten the law on the sale of knives which may be used as offensive weapons;
(3) what initiatives have been undertaken by his Department to reduce the danger to the public from the use of knives as offensive weapons.
§ Mr. Peter LloydThe sale and possession of knives is subject to a number of controls. The sale of flick knives, gravity knives and butterfly knives, which have no legitimate use, is banned. These knives have distinctive mechanisms which can be defined in law. There would be considerable practical problems in seeking to apply more general restrictions on the sale and purchase of knives which have a variety of legitimate everyday uses.
For this reason, the Government have tackled the misuse of knives by tightening the law on possession rather than imposing further restrictions on sale. The Criminal Justice Act 1988 makes it an offence for a person to have a bladed or sharply pointed article (other than a small folding pocket knife) in a public place without good reason. The Act also places the onus on the knife-carrier to show that he has good reason for possessing it in public.
This measure supplements the Prevention of Crime Act 1953 which makes it an offence to be in possession of an offensive weapon in a public place without reasonable excuse or lawful authority.
The Government believe that these measures provide the police and the courts with effective powers to punish and deter the carrying of knives in public places. The Government have no plans to introduce further legislation in this matter.