§ Mr. Gwilym Roberts asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what study he has made of the increased use of firearms, shotguns, crossbows and other dangerous weapons in criminal and terrorist activities; if he will publish relevant data in the Official Report; if he will take steps to tighten the control of the sales and importation of such weapons; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Mayhew:Numbers of serious offences recorded by the police in which firearms were reported to have been used are published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales"—tables 3.1 to 3.4 of the volume for 1980, Cmnd. 8376. Information on other weapons used in serious offences is not collected centrally.
The use of firearms, and other weapons, in serious crime is kept under continuing review, but my right hon. Friend is not persuaded that more stringent controls would have a significant effect on the level of crime, or that the substantial extra work load that these would create for the police would be justified.