Firearms

HC Deb 21 February 2000 vol 344 cc811-2W

Mr. Alexander

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to discuss with the Scottish Executive changes in the legislation governing the use and possession of firearms. [110495]

Mr. Charles Clarke

The Government have no immediate plans to change the laws governing the possession and use of firearms, but existing controls will be kept under close scrutiny to see if there is anything further which needs to be done to protect public safety. As part of this process, the Home Office remains in close contact with the Scottish Executive on a wide range of policing issues, including firearms controls as well as other issues of mutual concern. I have recently corresponded with the Scottish Minister of Justice about the matters currently being considered by the Home Affairs Committee inquiry into controls on firearms and shall certainly wish to consult further and take into account the view of the Scottish Executive before responding to any recommendations.

Mr. Alexander

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate he has made of the number of people in the UK in possession of firearms. [110496]

Mr. Charles Clarke

Records are kept of the number of people holding firearm and shotgun certificates at the end of each year, and the figures for these as of the end of 1998 are as follows:

	Firearm Certificates	Shotgun Certificates
England and Wales	131,900	627,600
Scotland	31,072	63,100

Some individuals within these totals may hold both firearm and shotgun certificates. These figures do not take into account the ownership of low-powered air weapons which do not require a certificate.

Firearms in Northern Ireland are recorded against the fiscal year and a single type of Firearm Certificate applies to firearms, shotguns and air weapons. At the end of March 1999, there were 83,229 certificates on issue in Northern Ireland.

These figures do not include firearms possessed by Government agencies, commercial bodies or by institutions such as museums. Nor do they include any estimate of firearms in criminal hands.