To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to reduce the number of young people carrying weapons.

The Government's Ending Gang and Youth Violence programme supports local areas to tackle violence by young people, including the carrying and use of weapons.

The Government is also strengthening legislation. In December 2012, a new offence of threatening someone with a knife in a public place or a school came into force. We plan to restrict the use of simple cautions for the most serious offences, including knife possession, through the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill. We are also strengthening firearms legislation by proposing an offence which targets criminals who supply guns, often to young people in street gangs.