§ Mr. Terlezkiasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) firearms and (b) shotguns were registered between 1960 to 1970, 1970 to 1980 and 1980 to 1985 in the United Kingdom as a whole and in (i) England, (ii) Wales, (iii) Scotland and (iv) Northern Ireland separately; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggThe available information is as follows:
Number of firearm certificates on issue under section 1 of the Firearms Act 1968 Number of shotgun certificates on issue under section 2 of the Firearms Act 1968 1968 216,281 n/a 1971 190,649 715,453 1974 185,865 766,952 1979 169,590 782,074 1980 168,047 781,854 1981 164,872 785,225 1982 162,696 780,629 1983 159,804 783,378 1984 160,307 798,352 1985 160,385 819,333 n/a Not available.
Notes:
1. The information relates to the number of certificates on issue on 31 December.
2. More than one weapon may be held on a certificate. Information about the total number of weapons covered by certificate is not held centrally.
3. Statistics are not available except in respect of the years given. Shotguns were not subject to certification before 1968, and statistics about the number of firearms certificates on issue were not collected before that year.
4. Statistics are not available in respect of England alone, or Wales alone.
5. The figures for 1985 incorporate a correction, and therefore vary slightly from those published previously.
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(ii) Scotland Number of firearm certificates on issue under section 1 of the Firearms Act 1968 Number of shotgun certificates on issue under section 2 of the Firearms Act 1968 1968 39,780 69,748 1969 39,603 74,454 1970 39,285 76,613 1971 38,272 77,639 1972 37,813 77,708 1973 38,087 80,416 1974 38,800 83,555 1975 39,184 84,709 1976 39,041 85,018 1977 39,237 84,938 1978 39,049 83,249 1979 39,155 85,075 1980 38,752 85,126 1981 38,548 84,847
Number of firearm certificates on issue under section 1 of the Firearms Act 1968 Number of shotgun certificates on issue under section 2 of the Firearms Act 1968 1982 38,115 84,183 1983 37,825 84,306 1984 37,750 84,606 1985 38,165 86,198 Notes:
1. The information relates to the number of certificates on issue on 31 December.
2. More than one weapon may be held on a certificate. Information about the total number of weapons covered by certificates is not held centrally.
3. Shotguns were not subject to certification before 1968, and statistics about the number of firearm certificates on issue were not collected before that year.
(iii) Northern Ireland Number of firearm certificates on issue Number of weapons covered by certificates, classified by type 1. Shotguns 2. Air weapons 3. Bullet firing weapons 4. Misc. 1970 72,596 — — — — 1971 73,548 — — — — 1972 76,790 — — — 1973 76,942 — — — 1974 79,117 65,587 12,125 23,446 838 1975 78,216 65,640 11,810 23,687 809 1976 79,718 67,148 11,830 24,066 806 1977 81,402 69,525 12,112 24,236 777 1978 82,248 71,119 12,491 23,812 781 1979 83,549 72,843 13,362 23,785 792 1980 82,923 74,836 14,450 23,807 795 1981 83,342 76,087 15,103 23,949 801 1982 84,250 77,392 15,635 23,979 796 1983 85,170 78,587 16,071 23,937 800 1984 86,039 79,845 16,659 23,842 800 1985 88,340 81,247 17,240 23,980 802 Notes:
1. The figures given are of the certificates on issue, and of the weapons held under a certificate, on 31 December.
2. Information about the weapons covered by certificates before 1974, and about the number of certificates on issue before 1970, is not readily available and could only be obtained, if at all, at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Terlezkiasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total number of prisoners serving life sentences for murder with firearms involving (a) rape with homicide, (b) robbery, (c) terrorism and (d) murder of police officers; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MellorThe readily available information is that in prison department establishments on 31 December 1985 one person was serving a life sentence for murder by shooting involving a sexual motive, 38 for murder by shooting during the course of theft, five for murder by shooting whilst engaged in terrorist activity and 10 for murder by shooting a policeman in the course of his duty.