§ Mr. Flynnasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement regarding the accuracy of his Department's index to all letters and circulars issued since 1967, concerning the administration of the Firearms Act 1968, sent by his Department to chief officers of police;
(2) if he will place in the Library a copy of all circulars issued by the Home Office since 1967, concerning the administration of the Firearms Act 1968, to chief officers of police;
(3) if he will place a copy in the Library of his Department's index to all letters and circulars issued since 1967, concerning the administration of the Firearms Act 1968, sent by his Department to chief officers of police.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggThe only list which relates to circulars and letters issued since 1967 specifically about firearms controls is an informal document prepared for internal reference purposes. This list was supplied recently to an appellant's counsel to assist him in the idenification of any material relevant to an appeal to the Crown court, Newport, against refusal of a firearms certificate. It is the practice to place a copy of all circulars on firearms matters in the Library.
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§ Mr. Flynnasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of all standard letters issued by his Department since 1967, concerning the administration of the Firearms Act 1968, to chief officers of police.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggThe contents of such letters and of circulars to chief officers of police that remain of current application have been consolidated in a revised memorandum for the guidance of the police on the administration of the Firearms Act 1968. This has been sent to major shooting organisations for comments. I shall place a copy in the Library when it has been finalised.
§ Mr. Flynnasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of the 1972 Sir John McKay report, "The Control of Firearms in Great Britain: A Consultative Document", issued to all chief officers of police.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggNo. The report of Sir John McKay's working party on the control of firearms, prepared in 1972, was an internal document. Its main conclusions and recommendations were incorporated in the 1973 Green Paper, "The Control of Firearms in Great Britain" (Cmnd. 5297). It has no bearing on the way in which the Firearms Act 1968 is currently administered by chief officers of police.
§ Mr. William Powellasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many firearms and shotgun certificates were on issue and how many dealers were registered in 1986 in (a) England and Wales and (b) the Metropolitan police district; how these figures compared with those for previous years; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HurdThe position at 31 December each year was as follows:
Firearms certificates on issue at 31 December Shotgun certificates on issue at 31 December Dealers registered at 31 December England and Wales 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 2,295 1985 160,385 1819,333 2,419 1986 160,285 840,951 2,523 of which, Metropolitan Police District 1979 9,504 30,259 . . 1980 9,374 28,990 . . 1981 8,981 29,528 . . 1982 8,856 28,504 . . 1983 8,741 29,747 . . 1984 8,878 30,293 238 1985 8,957 137,147 288 1986 9,084 41,814 287 .. not available. 1 The records of shotgun certificates for the Metropolitan police were computerised in 1985, and this brought to light previous under-recording of these figures.