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Knives: Sentencing

Volume 506: debated on Friday 26 February 2010

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 5 February 2010, Official Report, column 548W, on knife sentencing, what the (a) lowest, (b) highest and (c) average fine was for the selling of knives to a minor in each year since 1998. (317838)

The requested information is provided in the following table.

Average, highest and lowest fines given for selling a knife or other bladed article to a person under age1, 1998 to 2008

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

Highest fine (£)

2,000

100

2

3,250

4,000

4,000

3,000

2,500

4,500

2,000

3,500

Average fine (£)

3

3

2

1,400

1,518

1,123

1,200

726

813

540

1,035

Lowest fine (£)

700

100

2

100

75

70

200

100

75

100

50

Total fined

2

1

0

8

10

14

6

25

43

29

22

1 16 as enacted by the Criminal Justice Act 1988 amended to 18 by Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006.

2 Not applicable (zero fines)

3 Figure suppressed as number too small to give meaningful average.

Note:

These data are presented on the principal offence basis. Where an offender has been sentenced for more than one offence the principal offence is the one for which the heaviest sentence was imposed. Where the same sentence has been imposed for two or more offences the principal offence is the one for which the statutory maximum is most severe.