Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 26 November 2020
26 Nov 2020 · S5 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
First Minister’s Question Time
Offensive Weapons
Although there have been increases in such crime in the past few years, the longer-term trend is positive. Over the past decade, the number of crimes of handling an offensive weapon that have been recorded and the number of emergency hospital admissions due to assault with a sharp object have more than halved.
Over the past decade, we have invested more than £20 million in violence prevention programmes. That includes funding for the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, Medics Against Violence and No Knives Better Lives. Alongside enforcement and prosecution options, we will continue to work with partners to deliver targeted violence prevention programmes in local areas where such crimes occur.
In the same item of business
6. Michelle Ballantyne (South Scotland) (Ind)
Ind
To ask the First Minister for what reason crimes involving offensive weapons reportedly continue to be on the rise, and what action the Scottish Government i...
The First Minister (Nicola Sturgeon)
SNP
Although there have been increases in such crime in the past few years, the longer-term trend is positive. Over the past decade, the number of crimes of hand...
Michelle Ballantyne
Ind
We have seen a downturn in the number of crimes. That has no doubt been brought about partly by the pandemic that we are experiencing. However, although the...
The First Minister
SNP
I am happy to have the particular local issues looked into; I do not know what the circumstances are in those areas. There are often fluctuations from area t...