§ Mr. Gordon MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions his Department has had with retailers on the guidelines they operate on the sale of knives. [141364]
§ Caroline FlintNone. Both the Offensive Weapons Act 1996 and the Knives Act 1997 deal with the sale of knives. Section 6 of the Offensive Weapons Act 1996 makes it an offence to sell knives to persons under 16 and section 1 of the Knives Act 1997 makes it an offence to market a knife in a way which indicates, or suggests, that it is suitable for combat or is otherwise likely to stimulate or encourage violent behaviour involving the use of a knife as a weapon.