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Firearms: Crime

Volume 482: debated on Tuesday 4 November 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many incidents of violence against the person involving a handgun were recorded (a) in total and (b) per 1,000 of the population for (i) England, (ii) the Avon and Somerset Constabulary area and (iii) Bath and North East Somerset in each year from 1997 to 2008; (231457)

(2) how many incidents of violence against the person where a fatality has occurred as a result of a handgun wound were recorded (a) in total and (b) per 1,000 of the population for (i) England, (ii) the Avon and Somerset Constabulary area and (iii) Bath and North East Somerset in each year from 1997 to 2008.

Available data relate to offences involving a handgun where the firearm was fired, used as a blunt instrument or used as a threat.

Figures for England and Avon and Somerset police force area from 1997-98 up to and including 2006-07 are provided.

Table (A): Crimes in which a handgun was used1 and offences per 100,000 population: England and Avon and Somerset, 1997-98 to 2000-07

England

Avon and Somerset

Number of offences

Offences per 100,000 population

Number of offences

Offences per 100,000 population

1997-98

2,620

5

40

3

1998-992

2,668

5

41

3

1999-2000

3,672

7

54

4

2000-01

4,095

8

77

5

2001-023

5,858

12

87

6

2002-03

5,531

11

86

6

2003-04

5,123

10

85

6

2004-05

4,325

9

42

3

2005-06

4,647

9

23

2

2006-07

4,151

8

36

2

1 By being fired, used as a blunt instrument or used as a threat.

2 There was a change in the counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998.

3 The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced on 1 April 2002. Figures for some crime categories may have been inflated by this.

Table (B):Crimes in which a handgun was used1 causing fatal injury and offences per 100,000 population: England and Avon and Somerset, 1997-98 to 2006-07

England

Avon and Somerset

Number of offences

Offences per 100,000 population

Number of offences

Offences per 100,000 population

1997-98

33

0.07

1998-992

29

0.06

1

0.07

1999-2000

42

0.08

2000-01

48

0.10

2

0.13

2001-023

59

0.12

2002-03

39

0.08

3

0.20

2003-04

35

0.07

2

0.13

2004-05

36

0.07

2005-06

22

0.04

2006-07

27

0.05

1 By being fired, used as a blunt instrument or used as a threat

2 There was a change in the counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998.

3 The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced on 1 April 2002. Figures for some crime categories may have been inflated by this.