§ Lord Brougham and Vauxasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many criminal offences have been committed with legally held shotguns in each of the last five years. [HL4098]
§ Lord Bassam of BrightonComplete figures are not available to show how many offences in which shotguns were used involved legally or illegally held shotguns.
Figures are available, however, for offences of homicide involving shotguns recorded by the police in England and Wales for the years from 1994 to 1998. The total figures are as follows:
Homicides with shotguns Total number Shotgun legally held/certificate not required 1994 36 7 1995 28 6 1996 17 4 1997 16 1 1998 10 1 The table details the number of criminal offences committed in Scotland with shotguns held legally and illegally in each of the years from 1995 to 1999. Information has also been provided on the number of criminal offences committed with a shotgun where it was not possible to determine whether or not the weapon was legally held, either because no accused was identified or because the weapon was not recovered.
Number of criminal offences committed with shotguns, Scotland, 1995–99 Legally held shotgun Illegally held shotgun Legal possession of shotgun not determined1 1995 24 66 50 1996 2 46 43 1997 15 16 33 1998 5 21 16 1999 9 20 26 1 No accused identified or accused identified but shotgun not recovered. Figures for Northern Ireland on whether firearms used in offences were legally or illegally held are not available.
§ Lord Brougham and Vauxasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many legally held shotguns have been reported as stolen and then subsequently used in criminal offences in each of the last five years. [HL4099]
93WA
§ Lord Bassam of BrightonThis information is not collected centrally. The number of shotguns stolen in each of the last five years is as follows:
Shotguns stolen England and Wales Scotland Northern Ireland 1995 728 35 50 1996 624 23 71 1997 539 15 79 19981 524 10 101 19992 395 17 82 1 1997–98 for England and Wales. 2 1998–99 for England and Wales.