Prosecution of Serious and Violent Crime: Luton South and South Bedfordshire

Solicitor General – in the House of Commons at on 20 March 2025.

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Photo of Rachel Hopkins Rachel Hopkins Labour, Luton South and South Bedfordshire

What steps she is taking to help ensure the effective prosecution of serious and violent crime in Luton South and South Bedfordshire constituency.

Photo of Lucy Rigby Lucy Rigby The Solicitor-General

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to raise that question. The Government are taking decisive action to crack down on serious and violent crime right across the country, and to ensure that perpetrators of such offences are put behind bars. As such, I welcome her strong support for the Crime and Policing Bill, which contains tough measures to tackle knife crime and other crime.

Photo of Rachel Hopkins Rachel Hopkins Labour, Luton South and South Bedfordshire

Sadly, Bedfordshire police recorded some of the highest knife crime rates in England in the year ending March 2024. A robust and quick CPS response is key to delivering justice for victims and their families. How are the Government ensuring that we increase prosecution rates for those serious offences to keep dangerous offenders off our streets?

Photo of Lucy Rigby Lucy Rigby The Solicitor-General

My hon. Friend raises a critical issue that affects communities in Bedfordshire and across the country. An important part of the Government’s mission to make our streets safe is our commitment to halving knife crime in a decade. We have implemented our ban on zombie-style knives and machetes, and we are moving forward with our plans to ban ninja swords later this year. We know that more needs to be done to tackle the sale of knives and offensive weapons online, which is why we have recently announced Ronan’s law, which will include stricter rules for online knife sales.