Question
This month has tragically seen a fatal shooting in East Acton. I know that, as they used to say on “Crimewatch”, these things are incredibly rare, but at a community meeting I went to, which also involved the council and the police, it still felt very raw. There is consternation that the gangs, violence and exploitation unit, which has been instrumental in solving previous murders, is being wound up. I wonder whether the Home Secretary, or one of my other hon. Friends in the Department, could meet me and the borough west commander to find a way forward.
Answer
My hon. Friend is right that statistics are not the answer to everything, but gun crime has gone down in the last year in the new stats that have come out, so we are making progress. She is right, of course, to be concerned about the awful incident in her constituency. I am always happy to meet her and others to talk about such matters. We are putting funding into tackling county lines, into knife crime concentration funds and into our violence reduction units. All that funding is helping us to make progress when it comes to both knife crime and gun crime.
Verdict: RED (22/100)
The question asked whether the minister would meet the MP, including with the Home Secretary or a minister and the borough west commander, and what would happen to the proposed winding up of the gangs, violence and exploitation unit. The reply only says the minister is always happy to meet the MP and others, which is a general willingness rather than a confirmed meeting. It does not address the borough commander or the unit's future, and the funding figures it cites concern county lines, knife crime and violence reduction units in general. The MP would likely need to ask again for a specific commitment.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will the Home Secretary, or another minister in the Department, meet the MP and the borough west commander to find a way forward on the concerns about the proposed winding up of the gangs, violence and exploitation unit following the fatal shooting in East Acton. | Partially Addressed | Hedged | Statement 5 says the minister is "always happy to meet her and others", which is a general willingness to meet the MP but does not confirm a meeting with the Home Secretary or a minister, does not mention the borough west commander, and does not engage with the proposed winding up of the gangs, violence and exploitation unit. The funding statements (6-7) concern county lines, knife crime and violence reduction units in general, not the unit in question or a way forward on it. |