§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his assessment of the outcome of his Department's air weapon safety campaign launched in December 1983.
§ Mr. Giles ShawAn assessment of the campaign cannot be made until the comparative statistics on air weapons offences committed during 1984 become available in the autumn.
§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for reports from chief constables as to how many instances of cats and dogs being injured by air gun pellets were notified to the police during the last year for which figures are available.
§ Mr. Giles ShawNo. The information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further consideration the Government have given to the recommendation of the 1973 Green Paper on firearms control to raise the age at which persons may be in possession of air weapons.
§ Mr. Giles ShawWe have continued to keep the matter under close review and have decided not to introduce legislation to raise the age restrictions at present. We shall consider what, if any, further measures are necessary when the effects of the national publicity campaign conducted in 1983 have been fully assessed.