asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of cases of injuries resulting from the use of airguns and shotguns in the years 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960, and 1961, respectively; how many of these were fatal; how many were serious; and how many of them were due to air weapons used by young people up to the age of 14 years and between the ages of 14 and 17, respectively.

Complete information is available only in respect of the years 1957, 1958 and 1959. Since the Answer contains a number of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Is the Minister aware that information can be obtained from the local authorities, or some of them, in respect of some of these years? Is he also aware that a very serious position is disclosed by the figures in various localities and in London by these unhappy cases, and that those aged 14 to 17 form a large proportion of the persons concerned in committing these offences? Will he see to it that something is done by the Government to put the position in order?

As the hon. Gentleman knows very well, there is a Private Mem-