HL Deb 20 June 1988 vol 498 cc593-4WA
Lord Burton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many firearms cases have been brought to court during the last five years (a) as a result of illegal weapons, and (b) as a result of legally held weapons.

Earl Ferrers

Figures for the total number of prosecutions under the Firearms Act 1968 are given in the table below. It is not possible from the information held centrally to identify those offences where the weapons were held illegally.

Defendants proceeded against for offences against the Firearms Act 1968:

England and Wales Numbers
1982 5,430
1983 4,850
1984 4,160
1985 3,870
1986 3,160