§ David DavisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of gun crimes was drug-related in the last year for which figures are available. [146833]
§ Caroline FlintStatistics on the proportion of gun crime which is drugs-related are not collected centrally.
§ Mr. PaiceTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been(a) cautioned and (b) prosecuted for possession of (i) unlicensed firearms and (ii) shotguns in each of the last five years; in how many instances in each case the offence was limited to possession and not connected with the weapon's use in other crimes; and how many cases related to failure to renew the appropriate certificate. [147397]
§ Caroline Flintholding answer 12 January 2004]: The available information is given in the following table. The statistics collected centrally do not enable those offences limited to possession to be distinguished from those connected with the weapon's use in other offences. Nor is it known how many cases related to failure to renew the appropriate certificate.
Persons cautioned and those proceeded against for possession of unlicensed firearms, England and Wales
Possession of unlicensed firearms
Possession of unlicensed shotgun
Persons cautioned
Persons proceeded
against
Persons cautioned
persons proceeded
against
1998 157 350 243 199 1999 147 316 132 118 2000 149 1272 242 1109 2001 117 217 233 125 2002 94 254 153 112 1Excludes figures for Staffordshire. Statistics for 2003 will be published in the autumn.