§ 18. Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage increase has occurred in the number of serious crimes and offences in which firearms are involved made known to the Metropolitan police in the most recent year for which figures are available compared with 10 years previously.
§ Mr. BrittanBetween 1971 and 1981, the latest year for which comprehensive figures are available, the increase in the number of notifiable offences recorded by the Metropolitan police in which firearms, including air weapons, were reported to have been used was about 240 per cent.
§ Mr. MacKenzieasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the percentage increase in the following groups of crimes since 1965: (a) murder, manslaughter and offences under section 18 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, (b) other offences against the person and (c) offences other than against the person.
§ Mr. MellorInformation on notifiable offences recorded by the police is published annually by type of offence in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales"—table 2.4 et seq of the most recent volume, Cmnd. 8668, for 1981—and in "Home Office Statistical Bulletins". Table 5 of issue 3/83 includes 1982 figures. The published figures indicate an increase in recorded offences between 1965 and 1982 of about 115 per cent for offences of homicide and wounding or other act endangering life, about 185 per cent. for other offences of violence against the person and sexual offences, and about 145 per cent. for other notifiable offences, including robbery.