Prominent among the Children's Secretary's myriad concerns are the summer's spate of headline-grabbing killings of young people that have prompted debates of a national crisis.
"When a child is brutally murdered, our response has to be very tough. There's no place for gun and knife crime in our society," says Balls, stealing time for an exclusive interview with Children & Young People Now. And he admits his department's basket of policies don't contain the answer.
"It's hard to jump from extended schools, youth activities and parents being more involved in kids' education to heinous crimes involving guns and knives. Until we understand the real motivation it's a bit complacent to say these things alone will solve it."
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