Letter from Lord Hanson to Lord Davies detailing government amendments for Lords committee stage: 27 October 2025 (accessible)
Updated 30 October 2025
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Lord Hanson of Flint
Minister of State for the Home Office
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF
Lord Davies of Gower
House of Lords
27 October 2025
Dear Lord Davies,
Crime and Policing Bill: Government amendments for Lords committee stage
I am writing to let you have details of a first tranche of Government amendments tabled today for Lords Committee stage.
Maximum penalty for offences relating to offensive weapons (amendments to clauses 28 and 200)
Clause 28 increases the maximum penalty applicable in England and Wales, from six months’ imprisonment to two years’ imprisonment, for the offences of importation, manufacture, sale and supply, and possession of an offensive weapon, flick knife or gravity knife and for the offences of sale of knives or other bladed articles to children. At the request of the Scottish Government, these amendments apply the increased maximum penalties to Scotland.
Remote sale and delivery of knives and crossbows: age verification (new clauses “Remote sale or letting of knives etc: Scotland”, “Remote sale of knives etc: Northern Ireland”, “Remote sale and letting of crossbows: Northern Ireland”, “Delivery of crossbows: Northern Ireland”, “Sale and delivery of crossbows: Northern Ireland: supplementary provision” and “Duty to report remote sale of knives etc in bulk: Northern Ireland” and amendments to clauses 31 to 36, 197, 200 and 201)
Clauses 31 to 35 introduce new age verification requirements for the online sale and delivery of knives and crossbows in England and Wales. Clause 36 imposes a requirement on sellers of bladed articles in England and Wales to report bulk sales. At the request of the Scottish Government and Department of Justice in Northern Ireland, these new clauses and amendments make equivalent provision for, or extend the application of the existing provision to, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
In addition, the amendments clarify that only a copy of a physical identity document listed in these provisions (that is, a passport or UK driving licence and EU driving licences in the case of Scotland only) is acceptable and not a copy of an electronic document and enable the relevant national authority (that is, the Secretary of State, the Scottish Ministers or the Department of Justice in Northern Ireland) to make regulations to provide for other steps which may be taken to verify age and identity such as the use of digital identities in the future.
I attach a supplementary delegated powers memorandum. I intend to table further amendments to other parts of the Bill ahead of the start of Committee and will write further with details of these.
I am copying this letter to Lord Keen of Elie, Baroness Doocey, Lord Marks of Henley-on-Thames, Baroness Ramsey of Wall Heath (Chair, Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee), Chris Philp, Matt Vickers, Max Wilkinson and Luke Taylor. I am also placing a copy of the letter and enclosures in the library of the House.
Yours sincerely
[Signed]
Lord Hanson of Flint