§ 19. Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes involving the use of, or carrying of,(a) knives, (b) guns and (c) other offensive weapons were committed in each of the last two years for which statistics are available. [10566]
§ Mr. MacleanFirearms were used in 12,977 notifiable offences recorded by the police in England and Wales in 1994, and 13,104 in 1995.
Two hundred and thirty-two homicides in England and Wales were apparently carried out with sharp instruments in 1994, and 251 in 1995. Corresponding figures for homicides involving blunt instruments are 54 and 85.
There were 5,804 convictions for carrying a knife or offensive weapon in public in 1994, and 5,749 in 1995.