The Conservative Party has accused Gordon Brown of running out of ideas on knife crime among young people.
As of this week anyone over the age of 16 carrying a knife will be prosecuted, and youth offending teams will work more closely with prisons. The new measures were announced following a meeting between Brown and police chiefs.
But shadow home secretary David Davis has slammed Brown's "appalling record" and accused him of abandoning causes of violent crime such as drugs and family breakdown.
"Extending a failing system might make for a nice announcement but it won't fix the problem in the short term nor address the fundamental causes of violent crime," Davis said.
"How can he claim he will get more 16- and 17-year-olds prosecuted when one in four offenders is currently let off with a warning or caution?"
