MP in new bid to tackle knives menace

Negotiations between Labour and the Government over the best way to tackle the menace of combat knives will reach a critical stage on Monday before the launch of an opposition Private Member's Bill.

Jimmy Wray, Labour MP for Glasgow Provan, who came top of the ballot for backbench Bills, has pledged to use his measure, scheduled to have its Commons Second Reading next Friday, to ban the weapons.

His draft Bill, submitted to the Home Office as part of an all-party attempt to reach a consensus, proposes a blanket ban on the sale of all knives with blades longer than three inches, subject to exceptions covering trade, domestic, or artistic use and ceremonial knives used for religious purposes or as part of national costume.

Labour wants to secure government backing for the measure and persuade it to drop its own alternative draft which would only outlaw the aggressive marketing of the weapons. Mr Wray will meet Home Office officials on Monday to press the case ahead of the introduction of his Bill on Wednesday.

Michael Howard, the Home Secretary, is also expected to meet police superintendents in the wake of publication of their suggested formula, agreed at the Police Superintendents' Association national executive committee meeting this week.

The association wants the Home Secretary to create a new offence to outlaw the sale or advertising of "any knife or bladed instrument of any description which is apparently designed or made to injure or wound another".

However, the Home Office emphasised yesterday that this still involved a subjective, rather than objective, definition which would make it difficult to get the law to stick in court.