Tackling Knife Crime and a Visit to Wormwood Scrubs

Report back from Andy Slaughter, MP for Hammersmith and Chiswick

Andy Slaughter MP

February 14, 2025

The Justice Committee continues to gather evidence for the inquiry into rehabilitation and reducing reoffending. A private session of the Committee was held on Tuesday afternoon with a visit to HMP Wormwood Scrubs on Thursday morning. As always, it was a very useful visit, and a chance to speak with staff and prisoners and learn more about what support is needed to reduce reoffending when people are released from prison.

In Westminster Hall this week I spoke in a debate on knife crime in London. There is much to be done in stopping the scourge of knife crime that is affecting us, but in the meantime, there are necessary steps we can take for harm reduction. Research shows that half of all homicides with sharp instruments are carried out with kitchen knives. That is why the campaign to manufacture knives with rounded tips is so important and has been receiving traction after Idris Elba’s documentary ‘Our Knife Crime Crisis’ raised awareness.

On Wednesday evening I attended a very interesting Media Club event held by the Chiswick Calendar. Audience members were treated to a talk on what it is like to be a foreign correspondent from ABC’s Chief International Correspondent and the BBC’s Security Correspondent.

It is now recess in the House of Commons and so there will be no Business next week, however, I continue to receive and respond to emails from constituents and local by-elections happening in Hammersmith on Thursday next week to keep me busy. The House sits again on Monday 24th February.

Best wishes,

Andy

andy@andyslaughter.com

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