Whether it will ban the sale or use of swords and, if so, what exemptions there will be to any ban.

The Executive remains deeplyconcerned about the continuing high incidence of knife crime and its contributionto violent crime. The role of knives and other weapons in homicides and assaultsneeds urgent and effective action. Accordingly the Executive has been reviewingknife crime law and enforcement, as promised in the Partnership Agreement. The FirstMinister in his statement on 22 November 2004 set out a programme of measures whichwe believe will tackle the impact of knife crime across Scotland today. One of themeasures in this five-point plan is a proposal to ban the general sale of swords.
The Executive will be consultingon these proposals early in 2005. We recognise that, in strengthening the law onthe sale, ownership and use of swords, exceptions may have to be built into thelegislation to cover legitimate aspects on sword use and ownership, for examplefor sporting or cultural purposes.