As part of the Government’s aim to halve knife crime within a decade, and in line with their manifesto commitment, the previous Home Secretary commissioned Commander Stephen Clayman, the National Police Chiefs’ Council knife crime lead, to conduct a review of online sales of knives.
The “Independent End-to-End Review of Online Knife Sales”1 was published on 19 February and made a number of recommendations, including the introduction of a registration scheme for sellers and importers of knives. The Government accepted the most important recommendations immediately, and this included legislating in the Crime and Policing Bill for stronger age checks for online sales and delivery of knives, and the reporting by retailers of bulk purchases of knives online. The Government also committed to launching a public consultation to explore whether registration for sellers, in the form of a licensing scheme, should be put in place for anyone selling knives, whether online or offline.
The consultation will launch today, and it will run for a 10-week period, closing on 24 February 2026. A copy of the consultation and related options assessment will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament and published on gov.uk.
[HCWS1178]