[holding answer 18 December 2007]: We have taken a range of legislative and preventative action to reduce the availability of guns, knives and other dangerous weapons since 1997.
In 1997, following the Dunblane tragedy, we introduced a ban on handguns.
In 2003, a national firearms amnesty resulted in nearly 45,000 firearms and over 1 million rounds of ammunition being handed in. In 2006, a national knives amnesty resulted in nearly 90,000 knives being handed in. Although we have never claimed that amnesties alone will solve the problem, they are one facet in a range of tactics which include tough enforcement, prevention and education work. We are currently exploring the possibility of a hand-in system for weapons which would fall short of an amnesty but still provide a conduit for people to remove weapons from circulation.
The Criminal Justice Act 2003 introduced a mandatory minimum sentence for possession of a prohibited firearm of three years’ detention for 16 to 17-year-olds and five years’ imprisonment for people aged 18 and over.
The Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003:
introduced a ban on self-contained gas cartridge guns;
raised the age limit for having an air weapon; and
made it an offence to have an air weapon or an imitation firearm in a public place without a reasonable excuse.
Subsequently, the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006:
raised the minimum age at which a person can buy a knife from 16 to 18;
doubled the maximum sentence for possession of a knife in a public place without good reason from two to four years;
introduced a new offence of using someone to mind a weapon—where someone hands their weapon to another person to look after, they will no longer be able to escape prosecution for possession (and where a child is used, this will constitute an aggravating factor in determining sentencing);
banned the sale, manufacture and importation of realistic imitation firearms;
introduced tougher sentences for carrying imitation firearms (increased from a maximum of six months’ imprisonment to 12 months);
further raised the age limit for having an air weapon (to 18);
required that air weapons only be sold by registered firearms dealers; and
introduced powers for school staff to search pupils for weapons (although schools can still call the police if preferred).
On 12 December 2007, we announced that, following a public consultation, we intend to ban the sale, import and hire of samurai swords.
In September 2007, the Tackling Gangs Action Programme (TGAP) was established, to focus targeted action in neighbourhoods of London, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool where gun crime and gangs are a particular problem. The Association of Chief Police Officers, Serious Organised Crime Agency and HM Revenue and Customs are fully engaged in this work. On 28 November, an action day focusing on firearms was held in the four TGAP cities, which resulted in 124 arrests.
Ongoing work also includes support for prevention and education work through a variety of educational packages and other projects such as the Urban Concepts ‘Don’t Trigger’ anti-gun crime campaign.
[holding answer 18 December 2007]: Section 43 of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 amends section 141A of the Criminal Justice Act 1988, making it an offence to sell a knife to a person under the age of 18 years—up from 16 years. This came into force on 1 October 2007.
A national knife amnesty was held from 24 May to 30 June 2006, resulting in the surrender of 89,964 items in England and Wales. A table showing the breakdown of items recovered by force area is as follows.
Figures for local weapon amnesties are not held centrally.
Force Domestic Non Dom Weapons Of interest Total Avon and Somerset 1,510 634 129 69 2,342 Bedfordshire 503 172 45 42 762 Cambridgeshire 982 188 465 0 1,635 Cheshire 1,241 457 287 55 2,040 City of London 38 0 4 18 60 Cleveland 729 224 159 41 1,153 Cumbria 1,082 146 46 27 1,301 Derbyshire 2,257 91 623 24 2,995 Dorset 1,029 275 186 8 1,498 Durham 593 326 124 19 1,062 Dyfed Powys 470 188 121 14 793 Devon Cornwall 2,626 601 375 150 3,752 Essex 1,517 446 209 51 2,223 Gloucestershire 702 309 50 0 1,061 GMP 1,172 403 276 14 1,865 Gwent 1,263 419 187 67 1,936 Hampshire 3,209 841 529 57 4,636 Herts 1,659 493 20 22 2,194 Humberside 877 152 261 23 1,313 Kent 2,603 704 421 0 3,807 Lancashire 948 389 187 1 1,525 Leicestershire 950 158 62 0 1,170 Lincs 731 422 260 35 1,448 Merseyside 1,142 630 33 0 1,888 Met 0 0 0 0 9,145 Norfolk 1 [383] [104] [13] [5] 1,723 North Wales 1,152 392 177 10 1,731 North Yorkshire 940 285 346 53 1,624 Northants 1,312 174 140 0 1,626 Northumbria 1,576 667 306 57 2,606 Nottinghamshire 1,086 419 127 17 1,649 South Wales 1,351 505 143 23 2,022 South Yorks 1,143 68 379 42 1,631 Staffordshire 1,200 524 222 64 2,010 Suffolk 975 298 171 0 1,444 Surrey 959 252 89 11 1,311 Sussex 2,479 936 253 89 3,757 Thames Valley 2,475 1,235 620 0 4,330 Warwickshire 494 179 147 36 856 West Mercia 1,523 440 164 0 2,127 West Midlands 1,979 298 510 451 3,238 West Yorkshire 851 332 175 17 1,375 Wiltshire 894 177 120 9 1,200 Totals 2 52,222 16,595 9,148 1,658 89,864 1 Breakdown figures for Norfolk relate to items surrendered in first week only. 2 Breakdown figures do not equal final total due to (i). Note: MPS has supplied a total only figure.