§ Mr. GallieTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many offences involving the discharge of a firearm took place in each year in Scotland since 1966; [4351]
(2) how many offences involving the carrying of a firearm took place in each year in Scotland since 1966. [4352]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonDetailed statistics on offences involving firearms in Scotland have been collected since 1978. The following table provides the available information:
Offences involving firearms, Scotland, 1978–95 Number of offences in which a firearm was alleged to have been used Number of offences in which a firearm was alleged to have been fired 1978 492 388 1979 682 564 1980 1,093 939 1981 1,314 1,150 1982 1,283 1,058 1983 1,336 1,081 1984 1,353 1,110 1985 1,675 1,352 1986 1,525 1,189 1987 1,429 1,084 1988 1,159 843 1989 151,479 1,001 1990 1,495 1,072 1991 1,921 1,191 1992 1,959 1,170 1993 1,773 1,057 1994 1,788 1,052 1995 1,715 1,219
§ Mr. GallieTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many handgun licences have been registered in each year in Scotland since 1966; [4353]
(2) how many handgun licences are currently registered in Scotland. [4354]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonInformation on the number of firearms certificates on issue allowing the holder to possess a handgun is not routinely collected by the Scottish Office. Individual certificates are668W administered by police forces. Although annual statistical returns are made, there is no routine collection of the number of firearms certificates which allow the holder to possess a handgun. A special exercise was, however, conducted recently which showed that, at the beginning of 1996, approximately 3,230 firearms certificates current in Scotland allowed the holder to possess a handgun.
Further information on this matter is available at annexe A, table 7, of the Government's submission to Lord Cullen's inquiry into the shootings at Dunblane primary school, a copy of which is available in the Library.