§ Ms. GordonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many certificates were valid in the Metropolitan police area for(a) firearms and (b) shotguns by division for each year since 1979.
§ Mr. Peter LloydThe information is not available by division, but for the whole of the Metropolitan police area it is as follows:
Certificates on issue at 31 December each year Firearms Shotguns 1979 9,504 1— 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 1985 8,957 237,147 1986 9,084 41,814 1987 9,036 44,299 1988 8,877 45,835 1989 8,615 43,436 1990 29,929 42,362 Notes 1 Figures for shotgun certificates on issue on 31 December 1979 are not available. 2 Computerisation of records of shotgun certificates in 1985 and firearm certificates in 1990 brought to light previous under-recording. Source: Annual Reports for the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, 1979 to 1990.