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Firearms: Young People

Volume 490: debated on Monday 23 March 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people aged (a) 14 to 17 and (b) 18 to 21 years old have been prosecuted for firearms offences in each year since 2001. (264709)

Information on the number of persons found guilty at all courts for firearm offences in England and Wales 2001 to 2007 (latest available) can be viewed in the following table.

The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.

Court proceedings data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.

Number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts for firearm offences in England and Wales, by age group, 2001-071, 2

Proceeded against

Age 14-17

Age 18-21

2001

496

698

2002

419

643

2003

398

604

2004

538

674

2005

556

685

2006

470

559

2007

501

586

1 These data are on the principal offence basis.

2 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts, and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Source:

Office for Criminal Justice Reform: Evidence and Analysis Unit.