§ Mr. Robin F. Cookasked the Secretary of State for Trade how many licences were issued in each of the most recent 967W convenient five years for the export of arms by private dealers.
§ Mr. MeacherThe information requested could be obtained only by examining individually the records relating to many thousands of relevant applications for export licences relating to the chosen five-year period: for 1977 alone, there were some 15,000 applications which may have been relevant. About half of these related to personal firearms which mainly involve a single pistol or shotgun, although of course some were for much more substantial items.