HC Deb 14 October 1991 vol 196 cc26-7W
Sir John Wheeler

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has as to in how many operations firearms were issued to police officers in England and Wales for the years 1983 to the present; in how many of these operations shots were fired by police officers; how many police officers are currently qualified to carry firearms; and what were the equivalent figures for each of the previous nine years.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

Information relating to the police use of firearms in operations against criminals or others known or believed to be armed is given in the table.

Year Number of authorised firearms officers Number of operations Number of occasions when shots fired by the police
1983 13,044 3,180 3
1984 11,873 2,667 6
1985 10,244 2,488 7
1986 8,395 2,453 1
1987 7,349 2,185 7
1988 7,194 2,227 2
1989 7,311 2,583 4
1990 7,411 2,874 3