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In an update on its lobbying campaign to protect the status of kitchen cutlery in the face of potential knife control legislation, BHETA has welcomed encouraging comments from the Rt Hon Dame Diana Johnson DBE MP, Minister of State for Policing and Crime Prevention. She confirmed that she is “considering the request … that we look at excluding round-tipped cutlery knives from the statutory controls on knives”.
The statement followed a dedicated Round-Tipped Knives Roundtable hosted at the Home Office in July, attended by BHETA Chief Operating Officer Will Jones and Marketing Director Stephen Richardson, alongside senior representatives from Horwood Homewares, Japanese Knife Company, Lifetime Brands, Rayware, and Robert Welch Designs.
Under current legislation — specifically section 141A of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 — cutlery knives are classified as age-restricted products, making it an offence to sell them to under-18s. While historically regarded as harmless household items and sold freely without enforcement action, changes in the retailing landscape following the Offensive Weapons Act 2019 have resulted in stricter compliance measures, including online age verification, and restricted in-store displays. The costs arising from compliance fall on suppliers and retailers and can be significant.
Speaking after the meeting, Will Jones said: “I would like to thank the Minister for committing to review this issue. Some BHETA members face annual costs for online age verification of cutlery approaching £100,000 - an unnecessary burden on time, resources, and ultimately, customers. The bigger, hidden cost is the loss of in-store sales because products cannot be prominently displayed.”
As part of the meeting’s outcomes, the Government has also requested benchmarking data from retailers and suppliers on sales and product ranges of round-ended kitchen knives. BHETA is urging all members to participate in the forthcoming survey to strengthen the industry’s case.
Will commented, “This is a positive step forward for common-sense regulation, and we are committed to working closely with Government to ensure that legislation reflects the practical realities of our industry.”
Steve Richardson added, “Alongside its members, BHETA has been lobbying Government in relation to the terms of the Offensive Weapons Act and the scope of knife control for some time. Together we have achieved some notable exclusions, modifications, and clarifications. It remains imperative however that all affected suppliers take seriously the need to keep abreast of the latest developments.”
