What recent steps the Government have taken to reduce levels of violent crime.

The whole House will be saddened to learn of the tragic death today of a police officer during a training exercise with Greater Manchester police. It demonstrates the dangers that police officers face on our behalf, and I am sure that the whole House will join me in expressing our deepest sympathy to the officer's family, friends and colleagues.

According to the British crime survey, violent crime has fallen by 31 per cent. since 1997. We are determined to make more progress, particularly in tackling serious violence. Last September, I set up the tackling gangs action programme, which has brought about a 51 per cent. reduction in gun-related injuries in the target areas. Last Thursday, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced further actions to tackle knife crime, including changing police and prosecutors guidance so that all over-16s can expect to be prosecuted the first time they are caught with a knife. The violent crime action plan sets out a further comprehensive set of actions that we will take in the next three years.

I thank my right hon. Friend for that answer. Given the Prime Minister's statement, can she say what discussions she has had with chief constables and youth organisations regarding knife crime?

We have had very significant discussions with chief police officers and young people, particularly in developing our campaign to try to remove any glamour from the idea of carrying knives. Of course, we continue to talk to the very important organisations that are working in our communities across the country to help us and the police to tackle serious violence, and knife crime in particular.

In the year to March, 978 violent offences were recorded in the town of Kettering, which is 18 per cent. of its crime total. I strongly suspect that most of this crime was fuelled by alcohol. What is the Home Secretary doing, along with her colleagues, to try to reduce alcohol's influence on violent offences?

We have of course already taken action, not least through confiscation programmes, to ensure that young people do not have alcohol in public. We have worked hard, alongside trading standards and others, on test purchase campaigns, which are showing some success in reducing the availability of alcohol, particularly to young people. We are also working across government on making clear the dangers of excessive drinking, both to health and in respect of the link to crime. As the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, my hon. Friend Mr. Coaker, and my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Children, Schools and Families and for Health announced last week, we are bringing forward a series of further actions, on young people and alcohol in particular.

The Government need to do more in this regard, because 46 per cent. of crime is alcohol-related. On the Asda website this morning, one could purchase a litre of water for 93p, whereas a litre of Smartprice beer costs only 52p. What further steps do the Government propose to take to ensure that the alcohol industry and the supermarkets are aware of their responsibility to stop loss leaders being sold in supermarkets and to save the taxpayer the £7.2 billion that we spend on alcohol-related crime?

The alcohol industry already has a set of social responsibility standards. However, I have instigated a review of those standards, with a view to making them mandatory. We are also concerned about price promotions, as my right hon. Friend outlines, which is why the Department of Health is leading an independent review of the evidence on the relationship between alcohol price, promotion and harm. It is due to report this summer, when we will be able to take further action.

What strategy does the Secretary of State have for dealing with street gangs and, as importantly, for diverting young people from gang membership?

We have developed that strategy through the tackling gangs action programme, which I mentioned in my first answer; through tough enforcement; through using surveillance to identify those who are engaged in gangs, and working with them to encourage them out of that lifestyle; through working alongside community organisations to prevent people from getting into gangs in the first place; and through taking action both at local level and internationally, particularly to prevent the supply of guns in those areas. In addition to some of the very good work happening in those areas, we have, as I said in my original answer, already made progress in reducing the number of gun-related injuries. Because of that success, I have allocated a further £1 million to continue our work, particularly in the areas where gang-related violence is most serious.

There is no more serious crime the length and breadth of the UK than gun crime. Given that there are, as yet, no borders between the four countries that make up the UK, will my right hon. Friend resist any populist calls to devolve legislation from this House to the Scottish Parliament? Such a move would be seen as simply a populist measure, and we must ensure that legislation on gun crime continues to be dealt with in this place.

My hon. Friend makes an important point. We are determined to implement the legislation—for example, the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006, on which we consulted widely with the Scottish Executive—to ensure that any further action that we take, for example, that on tightening the controls on deactivated firearms, also spreads throughout the United Kingdom. In fact, we go further, because we recognise that unless we have an impact across Europe, where gun control laws are considerably less strong than ours, we will not be successful. That is why I am pleased that Arlene McCarthy, MEP for the North-West region, has led the way in Europe on strengthening the weapons directive, helping to protect everyone across Europe and those in this country in particular.

I join the Home Secretary in passing on our condolences to the family of the police officer from Greater Manchester police who has so sadly lost his life.

The Government claim that they want to obtain better data and information to help to combat violent knife crime, but there is no monitoring of the use of search powers, knife arches or the number of weapons recovered in schools. Why not?

A change that my predecessor made will enable us to be much clearer about levels of knife crime from last April. Where monitoring will help us to make a difference, we will monitor. What the hon. Gentleman actually did was list a range of actions that we have taken—more knife arches and wands, a greater ability to search people in schools for knives, and more ability to use stop-and-search powers. At least two of those changes were opposed by the Opposition on at least some occasions—

Order. We will not go there.