Question
I am concerned about young people and knife crime in my home city of Glasgow. Victim Support Scotland has asked the Scottish Government to carry out a comprehensive review of why young people become involved in knife crime and how effective Scottish programmes are at preventing it. This is backed by my constituent, Neil McCrimmon, and his family. Their beloved son Kory was stabbed to death, and the family has campaigned with great courage against knife crime. I fully support Victim Support Scotland’s call for a comprehensive review. Will the Home Secretary confirm that she would support the Scottish Government, were they to carry out such a review?
Answer
My hon. Friend has told me how much he admires the family for their campaigning efforts. We know from our own work how powerful it is when those who have suffered because of knife crime join in the effort to tackle it. As he knows, policing is a devolved matter and the question of a review is therefore one for the Scottish Government, but this Government stand ready to support them where we can.40% vibes
Verdict: RED (20/100)
The reply correctly explains that policing is devolved to Scotland, so the review falls to the Scottish Government. It then gives only a vague offer to 'stand ready to support them where we can', without saying whether the Home Secretary would back this specific review. It does not address how effective Scottish knife crime programmes are or why young people become involved, so the questioner would likely need to ask again for specifics.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Would the Home Secretary support the Scottish Government carrying out a comprehensive review of why young people become involved in knife crime and how effective Scottish programmes are at preventing it? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply correctly identifies policing as devolved and says a review is for the Scottish Government, then offers only a vague willingness to 'stand ready to support them where we can'. It never states whether the Home Secretary would support this specific review, and it says nothing about how effective Scottish programmes are or why young people become involved in knife crime. |