HC Deb 04 February 1983 vol 36 c208W
Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will seek to introduce legislation to make it mandatory for the courts to impose a sentence of five years' imprisonment for the offence of having or being in possession of a sawn-off shotgun.

Mr. Mayhew

No. It is important that the courts should have discretion, within the maximum of five years' imprisonment available for unlawful possession of a sawn-off shot gun, to fix sentences according to the circumstances which distinguish one case from another.