HL Deb 02 July 1982 vol 432 cc540-1WA
The Earl of Gosford

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What was the quantity of firearms in circulation

  1. (a) legally
  2. (b) illegally (estimate)
in England and Wales in the years 1970 and 1980; and

What was the quantity of firearms sold

  1. (a) legally
  2. (b) illegally (estimate)
in England and Wales in the years 1970 and 1980.

Lord Elton

The number of firearms, other than shotguns, legally held and sold is not recorded centrally and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost. There is no limit to the number of shotguns that may be legally possessed by holders of shotgun certificates and information about the numbers sold and in circulation is not available either centrally or locally. Although we have no information on the quantities of weapons involved, the numbers of firearm and shotgun certificates in force in England and Wales on 31st December 1980 were 168,047 and 781,854 respectively. Equivalent statistics for 1970 were not collected, but the corresponding figures for 1971 were 190,649 and 715,453. We have no information on which to base estimates of the number of illegally held firearms in circulation.