The Commons has voted to back mandatory jail terms for people caught twice with a knife, despite an expected abstention by Tory ministers and opposition from the Liberal Democrat wing of the coalition.
Nick De Bois, Tory MP for Enfield North, tabled new clauses to the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill which would introduce the tough new measures and with Labour support they passed the Commons 404 to 53, majority 351.
The Bill is set to be sent to the Lords for further scrutiny later tonight but Justice Minister Jeremy Wright had earlier said the Government would leave the Commons to dictate policy on the issue.
He said: "Although both coalition parties are fully committed to protecting the public, with regard to these particular new clauses, policy agreement has not been reached so it will be for the whole House to decide upon them at the conclusion of this debate."
During the Bill's report stage in the Commons, Mr De Bois said: "Some have argued that sending a signal may not be enough, that potential offenders do not think of the consequences of pocketing a knife.
"Quite simply, in the vast majority of cases, let's face it, to kill someone with a knife you first have to carry a knife, and I believe our courts are dispensing sentences for possession of a knife in thousands of cases that are quite simply treated by offenders as little more than an occupational hazard.
"With nearly 8,000 last year being fines and cautions, I would suggest that in some cases that fuels knife crime and does nothing to halt knife crime."
Under the proposals, adults would receive a minimum six-month jail term on their second conviction for carrying a knife, while 16-year-olds would be given at least a four-month detaining and training order.
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/mps-back-knife-jail-sentences-174705575.html
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