A £10M Government scheme to combat knife crime has done nothing for teenagers on Merseyside who have seen an increase in stab victims admitted to hospital.
The Tacking Knives Action Programme (TKAP), was launched last year, after a spate of well publicised stabbings called for immediate action.
But findings by the Home Affairs Select Committee have shown the scheme has had little effect on reducing recorded knife crime.
The TKAP initiative was launched in ten 'hotspot' areas which suffer 80% of serious knife violence including Merseyside.
Of these areas some found a slight reduction to the number of stab victims arriving at hospital casualty departments after TKAP was launched.
However, the number of Merseyside teenagers admitted to hospital after being wounded with a knife or sharp instrument rose from 66 to 87, between April and November 2008.
The report also warned the number of UK knife murders soared by 26% between 2005-6 and 2006-7, to a record high of 270.
Chairman of the Labour committee, Keith Vaz, has called the country's knife problem an 'arms race' and he believes it is a race we are losing.
Mr Vaz, said: "We are seeing a spiralling of the arms race as far as knife crime is concerned.
"Young people carry knives because they fear that others are carrying knives. This spiralling of knife possession puts all young people at risk.
"Too many tragic deaths have occurred because of this. We have to stop this arms race."
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