§ 53. Mr. O'Halloranasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish his report into the working of the Firearms Act, 1968; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. SharplesI cannot yet say when the review will be completed.
§ Mr. Thomas Coxasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of known offences in which a firearm was used against a police officer, during each of the previous three years.
§ Mr. MaudlingThe number of police officers on duty in England and Wales fired at or threatened with a firearm was 44 in 1969 and 50 in 1970. Corresponding figures for 1968 are being obtained, and I shall write to the hon. Member.
§ Mr. Thomas Coxasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the number of convicted offences in which a firearm was used and the present maximum prison sentence was imposed in each of the last five years;
(2) what was the number of convictions for the unlawful use of firearms during each of the last three years.
§ Mr. MaudlingThis information is not available, but the following table gives the number of indictable offences known to the police in England and Wales in which a firearm was used or presented:
1967 792 1968 878 1969 1,308 1970 1,359 Corresponding figures for 1966 are not available.
It is thought that improved reporting partly accounts for the increase between 1968 and 1969.
§ Mr. Redmondasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT figures showing the number of indictable offences involving firearms known 186W to the police in England and Wales in 1970.
§ Mr. MaudlingThe number of indictable offences involving firearms known to the police in England and Wales in 1970 was 3,486, as compared with 3,298 in 1969. In 1,359 of these offences a firearm was fired or presented, in 104 a firearm was carried but not used and in the remaining 2,023 a firearm was involved only by being misappropriated. The corresponding figures for 1969 were 1,308, 109 and 1,881.