HC Deb 29 March 1962 vol 656 cc1548-9
23. Sir B. Janner

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of cases of injuries resulting from the use of airguns and shotguns in the years 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960, and 1961, respectively; how many of these were fatal; how many were serious; and how many of them were due to air weapons used by young people up to the age of 14 years and between the ages of 14 and 17, respectively.

Mr. Renton

Complete information is available only in respect of the years 1957, 1958 and 1959. Since the Answer contains a number of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Sir B. Janner

Is the Minister aware that information can be obtained from the local authorities, or some of them, in respect of some of these years? Is he also aware that a very serious position is disclosed by the figures in various localities and in London by these unhappy cases, and that those aged 14 to 17 form a large proportion of the persons concerned in committing these offences? Will he see to it that something is done by the Government to put the position in order?

Mr. Renton

As the hon. Gentleman knows very well, there is a Private Mem-

Year Age of User Shotguns (see note (a)) Air Weapons (see note (b))
Total injuries Fatal injuries Serious injuries Total injuries Serious injuries
1957 Under 14 … 19 7 3 342 39
14–17 … 47 13 13 413 60
Over 17 … 99 28 46 115 15
Not specified … 5 — 2 103 6
TOTAL … 170 48 64 973 120
1958 Under 14 … 20 2 8 347 41
14–17 … 51 9 20 479 51
Over 17 … 120 40 54 115 22
Not specified … 3 1 — 98 3
TOTAL … 194 52 82 1,039 117
1959 Under 14 … 30 4 9 364 54
14–17 … 54 9 18 480 72
Over 17 … 149 43 65 133 25
Not specified … 13 — 4 102 18
TOTAL … 246 56 96 1,079 169
NOTES:
(a) These figures do not include suicides or attempted suicides. During the three years ended 31st December, 1959, 373 persons committed suicide and 25 persons attempted to commit suicide by using a shotgun.
(b) There were no fatal injuries resulting from the use of airguns.