HC Deb 20 December 1974 vol 883 cc683-92W
Mr. Farr

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT statistics from 1st January 1971 to the latest available date relating to convictions under the Firearms Act 1968, and in particular details of average penalties imposed, of the same nature as the information published in the OFFICIAL REPORT on 29th June 1971.

TABLE A
OFFENCES UNDER THE FIREARMS ACT 1968: PERSONS FOUND GUILTY AND PERSONS CAUTIONED
Persons found guilty at higher courts Persons found guilty at magistrates' court Persons cautioned as an alternative to prosecution
Offence 1972 1973 1971 1972 1973 1971 1972 1973
Compounded possession:
ss. 4(1), 4(3), 5(1) … 17 9 39 37 52 3 6 7
s. 16 … 18 31 9 1 2 4 8 2
s. 17(1) … 21 21 3 2 3 — — —
s. 17(2) … 8 15 8 3 1 2 2 1
s. 18(1) … 29 36 — — 1 — 3 —
s. 19 … 13 18 975 1,134 1,328 274 363 427
s. 20 … — 2 1,349 1,333 1,538 313 307 400
Sub-total … 106 132 2,383 2,510 2,925 596 689 837
Other possession:
s. 1(1) … 40 43 632 634 649 1,023 964 1,008
s. 2(1) … 3 9 1,422 1,677 1,659 4,007 4,500 3,690
s. 21(4) … 12 14 173 162 178 11 5 9
ss. 22, 23(1) … — — 673 845 1,035 993 1,078 1,335
s. 47(2) … — — — 1 4 1 — —
Sub-total … 55 66 2,900 3,319 3,525 6,035 6,547 6,042
Supplying etc.:
ss. 3(1), 3(2), 3(3), 21(5) … 2 4 101 129 142 144 177 193
s. 24 … — — 182 185 236 280 303 371
s. 25 … — — 1 2 2 — 1 —
Sub-total … 2 4 284 316 370 424 481 564
Certificate offences etc.:
ss. 38(8),39,40(5) … — — 4 9 8 10 21 17
ss. 1(2), 2(2) etc … — — 51 76 82 567 588 558
ss. 3(5), 7(2) etc … 2 — 161 223 292 308 543 613
ss. 30(4), 52(2)(c) … — — — 4 2 3 4 2
Sub-total … 2 — 216 312 384 888 1,156 1,190
Total … 165 202 5,783 6,457 7,204 7,943 8,873 8,633

Dr. Summerskill

I regret that information is not available in the form requested. The information for 1972 and 1973 in Tables A and B below is on the same basis as the information for the years up to and including 1971 in Tables 22 and 23 respectively of the statistical appendix to the previous Government's Green Paper "The Control of Firearms in Great Britain" (Cmnd. 5297). Although Table B shows the number of convicted persons in each category who were fined, and provides some generalised information about the size of the fine, it is not possible from this information to calculate the average fine imposed.

TABLE B
OFFENCES UNDER THE FIREARMS ACT 1968: PERSONS FOUND GUILTY
CLASSIFIED BY TYPE OF SENTENCB
1972
Persons found guilty at higher courts Fine
Offence Total found guilty Immediate imprisonment Total £5 and under Over £5 and up to £10 Over Other
Compounded possession:
ss. 4(1), 4(3), 5(1) 17 1 9 — — 9 7
s. 16 18 7 — — — — 11
s. 17(1) 21 14 1 — — 1 6
s. 17(2) 8 2 — — — — 6
s. 18(1) 29 8 7 — — 7 14
s. 19 13 5 2 — — 2 6
s. 20 — — — — — — —
Sub-total 106 37 19 — — 19 50
Other possession:
s. 1(1) 40 8 9 1 — 8 23
s. 2(1) 3 1 2 2 ․ ․ —
s. 21(4) 12 10 1 ․ — 1 1
ss. 22,23(1) — — — — — — —
s. 47(2) — — — — — — —
Sub-total 55 19 12 3 — 9 24
Supplying etc.:
ss. 3(1), 3(2). 3(3). 21(5) 2 1 — — — 1
s. 24 — — — — — — —
s. 25 — — — — — — —
Sub-total 2 1 — — — — 1
Certificate offences etc.:
ss. 38(8), 39,40(5) — — — — — — —
ss. 1(2), 2(2) etc. — — — — — — —
ss. 3(5), 7(2) etc. 2 — — — — — 2
ss. 30(4), 52(2)(c) — — — — — — —
Sub-total 2 — — — — — 2
Total 165 57 31 3 — 28 77

Persons found guilty at magistrates' courts Fine
Offence Total found guilty Immediate imprisonment Total £5 and under Over £5 and up to £10 Over £10 Other
Compounded possession:
ss. 4(1), 4(3), 5(1) 37 3 20 2 5 13 14
s. 16 1 — 1 — 1 — —
s. 17(1) 2 — — — — — 2
s. 17(2) 3 — — — — — 3
s. 18(1) — — — — — — —
s. 19 1,134 3 929 508 264 157 202
s. 20 1,333 2 1,211 663 374 174 120
Sub-total 2,510 8 2,161 1,173 644 344 341
Other possession:
s. 1(1) 634 8 482 232 114 136 144
s. 2(1) 1,677 5 1,518 1,064 303 151 154
s. 21(4) 162 13 99 29 27 43 50
ss. 22, 23(1) 845 — 558 495 42 21 287
s. 47(2) 1 — 1 — — 1 —
Sub-total 3,319 26 2,658 1,820 486 352 635
Supplying etc.:
ss. 3(1), 3(2), 3(3), 21(5) 129 2 113 58 33 22 14
s. 24 185 — 153 102 26 25 32
s. 25 2 — 2 2 — — —
Sub-total 316 2 268 162 59 47 46
Certificate offences etc.:
ss. 38(8), 39,40(5) 9 — 9 1 4 4 —
ss. 1(2), 2(2) etc. 76 — 68 38 15 15 8
ss. 3(5), 7(2) etc. 223 — 201 86 57 58 22
ss. 30(4), 52(2)(c) 4 — 4 1 2 1 —
Sub-total 312 — 282 126 78 78 30
Total 6,457 36 5,369 3,281 1,267 821 1,052
1973
Persons found guilty at Higher Courts
Fine
Offence Total found guilty Immediate imprisonment Total £5 and under Over £5 and up to £10 Over £10 Other
Compounded possession:
ss. 4(1), 4(3), 5(1) 9 2 3 — 1 2 4
s. 16 31 21 1 — — 1 9
s. 17(1) 21 10 — — — — 11
s. 17(2) 15 7 1 — — 1 7
s. 18(1) 36 18 4 — — 4 14
s. 19 18 7 2 — — 2 9
s. 20 2 — — — — — 2
Sub-total 132 65 11 — 1 10 56
Other possession:
s. 1(1) 43 15 12 — 1 11 16
s. 2(1) 9 1 5 1 — 4 3
s. 21(4) 14 4 6 — 1 5 4
ss. 22, 23(1) — — — ∔ — — —
s. 47(2) — — — — — — —
Sub-total 66 20 23 1 2 20 23
Supplying etc.:
ss. 3(1), 3(2), 3(3), 21(5) 4 2 — — — — 2
s 24 — — — — — — —
s. 25 — — — — — — —
Sub-total 4 2 — — — — 2
Certificate offences etc.:
ss. 38(8), 39,40(5) — — — — — — —
ss. 1(2), 2(2) etc. — — — — — — —
ss. 3(5), 7(2) etc. — — — — — — —
ss. 30(4), 52(2)(c) — — — — — — —
Sub-total — — — — — — —
Total 202 87 34 1 3 30 81

Persons found guilty at Magistrates' Courts
Fine
Offence Total found guilty Immediate imprisonment Total £ and under Over £ and up to £10 Over £10 Other
Compounded possession:
ss. 4(1), 4(3), 5(1) 52 1 34 4 10 20 17
s. 16 2 — — — — — 2
s. 17(1) 3 — — — — — 3
s. 17(2) 1 — 1 1 — — —
s. 18(1) 1 — 1 — — 1 —
s. 19 1,328 1 1,099 565 268 266 228
s. 20 1,538 2 1,344 626 420 298 192
Sub-total 2,925 4 2,479 1,196 698 585 442
Other possession:
s. 1(1) 649 10 496 193 87 216 143
s. 2(1) 1,659 2 1,524 951 336 237 133
s. 21(4) 178 14 115 29 26 60 49
ss. 22, 23(1) 1,035 — 684 596 75 13 351
s. 47(2) 4 — 4 2 — 2 —
Sub-total 3,525 26 2,823 1,771 524 528 676
Supplying etc.:
ss. 3(1), 3(2), 3(3)
21(5) 142 — 127 53 33 41 15
s. 24 226 — 181 88 41 52 45
s. 25 2 — 2 — — 2 —
Sub-total 370 — 310 141 74 95 60
Certificate offences etc.:
ss. 38(8), 39, 40(5) 8 — 6 3 — 3 2
ss. 1(2), 2(2) etc. 82 1 74 28 19 27 7
ss. 3(5), 7(2) etc. 292 1 265 82 71 112 26
ss. 30(4), 52(2)(c) 2 — 2 1 1 — —
Sub-total 384 2 347 114 91 142 35
Total 7,204 32 5,959 3,222 1,387 1,350 1,213

Mr. Farr

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of firearms used in crime in each of the past three years which have come into the possession of the police by type and calibre; and if he will show for each year the numbers of the totals which are or have been listed as having been legally held at any time by a certificate holder in the United Kingdom.

Dr. Summerskill

I regret that this information is not available.

Mr. Macfarlane

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions there were for firearm offences in 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973 and the first six months of 1974, respectively.

Dr. Summerskill

I regret that information is not available in the form requested. Table A below shows the number of persons convicted in England and Wales of offences under the Firearms Act 1968 in the years 1970 to 1973, and Table B shows the number of offences in England and Wales recorded as known to the police in which a firearm was used in the same years. Figures for the first six months of 1974 are not available.

TABLE A
Persons convicted in England and Wales of offences under the Firearms Act 1968 in 1970 to 1973.
1970 … … … 4,961
1971 … … … 5,927
1972 … … … 6,622
1973 … … … 7,406

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