§ Mr. MichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many criminals who took a gun to a crime have been given a life sentence since 1989; what is the average tariff set in such cases to date; how many have been released to date; and what is the average sentence served by those who have been released to date; [7517]
(2) how many criminals who took a gun to a crime have been given custodial sentences other than a life sentence since 1989; what is the average length of sentence given; how many have been released to date; and what is the average sentence served by those who have been released to date; [7518]
(3) how many criminals who took a gun to a crime were given a sentence other than a custodial sentence since 1989; and how many were given each of the non-custodial sentences which have been used for such offenders. [7519]
§ Miss Widdecombe[holding answer 5 December 1996]: Information readily available centrally is given in the following tables. It relates to the type of sentence passed on the principal offence, where at least one of the offences dealt with at the final court appearance was for a firearms offence. It will thus exclude those instances where a firearm was involved and either no separate proceedings were undertaken or they were terminated early.
It is an offence under the Firearms Acts, subject to a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, to be in possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence. In the six years from 1990 to 1995, 717 people were convicted of this offence in England and Wales; 420 of them were imprisoned, with an average length of sentence of 36 months. None were sentenced to life imprisonment.
The time served by prisoners who have been sentenced since October 1992 is determined by the sentencing structure specified by the Criminal Justice Act 1991. For those sentenced before October 1992, there were different arrangements for remission, release and parole.
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Table B: Person sentenced for indictable offences, where there is an associated firearms offence1, by type of sentence or order, 1989 to 1995 England and Wales Type of sentence or order 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 Absolute discharge 60 48 69 67 48 43 50 Conditional discharge 282 298 342 372 385 449 505 Fine 918 985 901 792 618 762 862 Probation order 151 182 187 186 180 210 245 Supervision order 47 52 41 39 35 66 72 Community service order 122 154 161 152 201 260 293 Attendance centre order 55 44 46 32 26 42 48 Combination order n/a n/a n/a 9 41 65 104 Fully suspended sentence 211 240 241 210 49 58 81 Immediate custody 1,148 1,130 1,261 1,373 1,309 1,434 1,542 s.53, Children and Young Persons Act 1933 5 5 7 13 25 41 28 Otherwise dealt with 27 27 38 40 28 39 47 Total sentenced 3,026 3,165 3,294 3,285 2,945 3,469 3,877 1 The information tabulated is for the principal offence, where at least one of the offences dealt with at the final court appearance was for a firearms offence. 2 n/a=Not applicable.