HC Deb 01 February 1978 vol 943 cc235-6W
Mr. Wm. Ross

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons in Northern Ireland at 1st January 1974, 1st January 1975; 1st January 1976, 1st January 1977 and 1st January 1978 had a firearms certificate in respect of a personal protection weapon; and how many such certificates have been revoked in each of those years.

Mr. Dunn

Records were centralised in 1974. The number of firearms held for personal protection purposes from 1975 onwards was as follows:

1st January 1975 5,756
1st January 1976 6,733
1st January 1977 7,276
1st January 1978 7,550

Information in respect of revocation of certificates for personal protection weapons is not readily available.

Mr. Wm. Ross

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table in the Official Report showing how many firearms certificates in Northern Ireland have, respectively, one, two, three, four, and five firearms listed; and what were the numbers in 1975.

Mr. Dunn

The detailed information requested is not readily available. However, a sample survey in 1974 indicated that six out of seven firearms certificate holders possessed only one weapon.