§ The Earl of Iveaghasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will publish the findings of an Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) subcommittee set up to consider the police response to the criminal use of firearms; and, if so, when those findings are expected. [HL4221]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bassam of Brighton)No. The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) subcommittee on the Criminal Use of Firearms was set up in August 1998 to address all issues relating to the criminal use of firearms, concentrating on the development of intelligence and policy proposals, and to work closely with other ACPO committees or subgroups that are active in addressing firearms-related issues. As such, it contributes to the overall development of firearms-related policy and law enforcement initiatives, and makes its views known generally within ACPO. A recent example of this was the sub-committee's contribution to the ACPO Annual Report, published in early October.
The sub-committee also contributed to the recent submission prepared for the Home Affairs Committee, by the ACPO Administration of Firearms and Explosives Licensing Sub-Committee. The publication of this submission will be a matter for the Home Affairs Committee.
§ The Earl of Iveaghasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will publish the findings of the National Intelligence Service's strategic threat assessment of the firearms situation in England and Wales; and, if so, when these findings are expected. [HL4222]
§ Lord Bassam of BrightonAs part of its annual threat assessment on serious and organised crime, the National Criminal Intelligence Service produced, in May 1999, a brief review of the risk from armed robbery. Some of the evidence for this report was gathered from the British Security Industry Association; other evidence was gleaned from other sensitive sources. In consequence, the report is marked "CONFIDENTIAL" and is not available for public readership.
§ The Earl of Iveaghasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether figures are available for the percentage of total firearms offences carried out by (a) legally held firearms and (b) illegally held firearms; and, if so, what they are. [HL4223]
§ Lord Bassam of BrightonComplete figures are not available to show how many offences in which firearms were used involved legally or illegally held firearms.
Figures are available, however, for England and Wales, for offences of homicide involving firearms 25WA recorded by the police between 1992 and 1994. Out of 196 such offences, 23 involved legally held firearms, 128 illegally held, and in the remaining 45 offences the police did not know the status of the firearm.
Information for Scotland is readily available only in cases of homicide where it was known that a pistol or revolver was involved. During the period 1992 and 1996, 17 persons were killed by legally held pistol/revolvers (all relating to the Dunblane incident), six with illegally held pistol/revolvers, and two where the status of the pistol/revolver was not known.
No similar information is available for Northern Ireland.