§ Mr. NichollsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evidence he has obtained as to the misuse of muzzle-loading firearms. [37091]
§ Mr. MichaelCriminal statistics record the principal types of weapon used in the commission of crime but do not differentiate between muzzle-loading firearms and other types of gun.
The Government are not aware of any incidents over the past ten years involving the serious misuse of muzzle-loading firearms, though the Forensic Science Service have identified the occasional use of guns of this kind in serious crime in previous decades.
642WAt present, the Government have no plans to introduce any further legislation on firearms controls but will keep under close scrutiny the way in which muzzle-loading weapons are used.