§ Mr. SoleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to review legislation on368W knives; and if he will assess the advantage of banning knives with sharp points except when such knives are designated as for a specific and legitimate purpose. [33105]
§ Mr. MichaelThe need for legislation to control the availability and promotion of knives as weapons was considered in detail by hon. Members during 1996 and 1997 during the passage of the Offensive Weapons Act 1996 and the Knives Act 1997, introduced by my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Baillieston (Mr. Wray) which was fully supported by my right hon. Friend and myself, then in Opposition. We had concluded that simply banning knives with sharp points except when such knives are designated for a specific and legitimate purpose would not achieve the desired end. Knives with legitimate purposes can be as lethal as ones which would not be so designated and such an approach would require a complex and costly designation system.
While the Government have no plans at present for a further review, we remain open to any suggestions for a further tightening of legislation on knives, and would consider banning the sale of any specific bladed or pointed article which could be defined in a way which distinguished it from articles which do have legitimate purposes.