HL Deb 10 March 1998 vol 587 cc28-9WA
Lord Ashbourne

asked Her Majesty's Government:

  1. (a) how many prosecutions have been brought in the last six years under Section 2 or 3 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959 in cases where the article, as defined by Section 1, has been a book;
  2. (b) how many of these prosecutions took place within the Metropolitan Police Force Area; and
  3. (c) how many resulted in convictions. [HL860]

Lord Williams of Mostyn

Data on the number of defendants prosecuted and convicted under Section 2 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959 as amended are given in the table. Information on the type of medium (book, magazine, internet etc.) used for such an offence is not collected centrally.

Information under Section 3 of the Act—Powers of search and seizure—is also not collected centrally.

type of weapon used, and whether any injury or fatality resulted. [HL849]

Lord Williams of Mostyn

The following table gives the available information for 1995 and 1996 (information for 1997 is not yet available). The calibre of the weapons and whether or not drugs were believed to be involved are not available centrally.

Notifiable offences recorded by Greater Manchester Police in which firearms were reported to have been fired
Type of firearm Type of injury
Total number Shotgun Pistol Rifle Other Fatal Other None
1995
January 10 3 4 — 4 — 7 4
February 4 — 1 — 3 1 3 —
March 5 1 4 — — 1 2 2
April 6 1 4 — 1 1 5 —
May 4 — 3 — 1 — 2 2
June 2 1 1 — — — 1 1
July 5 1 3 — 1 1 3 1
August 7 1 1 — 5 1 5 1
September 6 2 1 — 3 — 3 3
October 3 — 1 — 2 — 3 —
November 2 — — — 2 — 1 1
December 3 2 1 — — — 3 —
Total 58 12 24 — 22 5 38 15
1996
January 5 4 1 — — 1 2 2
February 6 2 4 — — 2 3 1
March 5 1 3 — 1 — 4 1
April 5 — 3 — 2 1 1 3
May 3 — 2 1 — — 2 1
June 3 1 2 — — 1 1 1
July 6 2 4 — — — 3 3
August 4 2 1 1 — — 4 —
September 1 — 1 — — — — 1
October 4 1 3 — — — — 4
November 7 3 2 — 2 2 3 2
December 6 3 2 — 1 — 1 5
Total 55 19 28 2 6 7 24 24