§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list by (1) each police force and (2) each London borough the number of persons shot with illegal firearms in each of the last three years and the current year, indicating(a) how many persons were (i) killed and (ii) injured, (b) the type of firearm used, (c) the calibre of firearm used, (d) the number of persons made answerable to the courts in respect of such crimes and (e) the number of occasions the police have sent an armed response team to an incident. [4051]
§ Mr. MichaelIn the past, information on whether firearms used in crime are legally held or not or on the calibre of firearms used has not been collected centrally in England and Wales as a matter of routine. However, a special exercise was conducted last year to find out further information on homicides involving firearms. This covered the three years from 1992 to 1994, and out of a total of 196 homicides involving the use of a firearm, information was available in 129 cases to show the weapon was held illegally.
Information on individual London Boroughs is not available centrally, nor is information on incidents where only non-fatal injuries were caused or the use of armed response teams in these incidents. The number of persons prosecuted for the offences is available only at disproportionate cost.
The following table gives the available information by police force area:
307W
Use of illegally held firearms in homicide, by type of firearm and calibre England and Wales 1992–94 Number of offences Type of firearm Handgun Police force 9mm .22 .32 .357 .38 .45 .445 .455 .635 N/K Total handgun Leicestershire 1 — — — — — — — — — 1 Lincolnshire — — — — — — — — — — — London, City of — — — — — — — — — — — Merseyside 1 — — — — 1 — — 1 — 3 Metropolitan Police 5 3 11 1 7 3 1 — — 2 33 Norfolk — — — — — — — — — 1 1 Northamptonshire — — — — — — — — — — — North Yorkshire — — — — — — — — — 1 1 Northumbria — 1 — — — — — — — 1 2 Nottinghamshire — — — — — — — — — — — South Yorkshire — — — — 1 — — — — — 1 Staffordshire — — — — — — — — — — — Suffolk — — — — — — — — — — — Surrey — — — — — — — — — — — Sussex — — 2 — — — — — — — 2 Thames Valley — — — — — — — — — — — Warwickshire — — — — — — — — — — — West Mercia — — — — — — — — — — — West Midlands 1 — — — 1 — — 3 — 1 6 West Yorkshire — — — — — — — — — — — Wiltshire — — — — — — — — — — — Dyfed-Powys — — — — — — — — — — — Gwent — — — — — — — — — — — South Wales — — — — — — — — — — — Dyfed Powys — — — — — — — — — — — All forces 10 6 13 3 9 6 1 3 2 6 59
308W309W
Type of firearm Shotgun Police force 410 12 Bore 20 Bore Heavy N/K Total shotgun Avon and Somerset — — — — — — Bedfordshire — 1 — — 2 3 Cambridgeshire — — — — — — Cheshire — 2 — — — 2 Cleveland — 4 — — — 4 Cumbria — — — — — — Derbyshire — 2 — — — 2 Devon and Cornwall — 1 — — — 1 Dorset — 1 — — — 1 Durham 1 — — — — 1 Essex — — — — — — Gloucestershire — 1 — — — 1 Greater Manchester — 3 — — — 3 Hampshire — — — — — — Hertfordshire — — — — 1 1 Humberside — 2 — — — 2 Kent — 1 — — — 1 Lancashire — 1 — — — 1 Leicestershire — 2 — — — 2 Lincolnshire — — — — — — London, City of — — — — — — Merseyside — 2 — — — 2 Metropolitan Police 1 7 1 — — 9 Norfolk 1 — — — 2 3 Northamptonshire — — — — — — North Yorkshire — — — — — — Northumbria 1 1 — 1 — 3 Nottinghamshire — — — — — — South Yorkshire 1 1 — — 1 3 Staffordshire — — — — — — Suffolk — — — — — — Surrey 1 — — — — 1 Sussex — 1 — — — 1
Type of firearm Shotgun Police force 410 12 Bore 20 Bore Heavy N/K Total shotgun Thames Valley 1 2 — — 2 5 Warwickshire — — — — — — West Mercia — 1 — — — 1 West Midlands — 2 — — 4 6 West Yorkshire — — — — — — Wiltshire — — — — — — Dyfed-Powys — — — — — — Gwent — — — — 1 1 South Wales 2 3 — — — 5 Dyfed Powys — 2 — — — 2 All forces 9 43 1 1 13 67
Police force Type of firearm Other1 Total other Total of firearms .22 .38 Avon and Somerset — — — 3 Bedfordshire — — — 3 Cambridgeshire — — — — Cheshire — — — 2 Cleveland — — — 4 Cumbria — — — — Derbyshire — — — 3 Devon and Cornwall — — — 1 Dorset — — — 1 Durham — — — 1 Essex — — — — Gloucestershire — — — 1 Greater Manchester — — — 6 Hampshire — — — — Hertfordshire — — — 2 Humberside — — — 2 Kent — — — 1 Lancashire — — — 2 Leicestershire — — — 3 Lincolnshire — 1 1 1 London, City of — — — — Merseyside — — — 5 Metropolitan Police — — — 42 Norfolk — — — 4 Northamptonshire — — — — North Yorkshire — — — 1 Northumbria — — — 5 Nottinghamshire — — — — South Yorkshire — — — 4 Staffordshire — — — — Suffolk — — — — Surrey — — — 1 Sussex — — — 3 Thames Valley — — — 5 Warwickshire — — — — West Mercia — — — 1 West Midlands — — — 12 West Yorkshire — — — — Wiltshire — — — — Dyfed-Powys — — — — Gwent 2 — 2 3 South Wales — — — 5 Dyfed Powys — — — 2 All forces 2 1 3 129 1Rifle, Section 1 (prohibited) firearm.