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Firearms: Arrests

Volume 507: debated on Thursday 11 March 2010

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) arrests for possession of a firearm and (b) gun-related incidents were recorded in each year since 1997. (320893)

The relevant Home Office data collection includes information on the number of arrests for possession of firearms resulting from searches under the Firearms Act 1968 Section 47 and other legislation. Data on the number of arrests under these powers from 1997-98 to 2007-08 (latest available) are provided in Table (A). The information provided only covers arrests under these powers and does not cover other arrests for firearms.

Information on the number of arrests for possession of firearms not resulting from these searches is not available centrally.

Data on offences in which firearms (excluding air weapons) were reported to have been used from 1997-98 to 2008-09 are given in Tables (B) and (C). Statistics for 2009-10 are scheduled to be published in January 2011.

Firearms are taken to be involved in a crime if they are fired, used as a blunt instrument or used as a threat against a person.

The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced in April 2002. Firearm offences before and after that date are not directly comparable.

Table A: Number of arrests for possession of firearms following stops and searches under Section 47 of the firearms act 1968 and other legislation, England and Wales 1997-98 to 2007-08

Number

1997-98

726

1998-99

707

1999-2000

756

2000-01

815

2001-02

899

2002-03

1,041

2003-04

924

2004-05

1,438

2005-06

1,417

2006-07

1,410

2007-08

1,496

Table B: Firearm offences1 (excluding air weapons), England and Wales, 1997 to 2001-02

Number of offences

1997-98

4,903

1998-992

5,209

1999-2000

6,843

2000-01

7,471

2001-023

10,024

1 Firearms are taken to be involved in a crime if they are 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 Figures may have been inflated by some police forces implementing the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard before 1 April 2002.

Table C: Firearm offences1 (excluding air weapons), England and Wales , 2002-03 to 2008-09

Number of offences

2002-032

10,248

2003-04

10,338

2004-053

11,069

2005-06

11,088

2006-07

9,645

2007-08

9,865

2008-09

8,208

1 Firearms are taken to be involved in a crime if they are fired, used as a blunt instrument or used as a threat.

2 The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced in April 2002. Figures before and after that date are not directly comparable.

3 More explicit guidelines for the classification of weapons introduced on 1 April 2004 may have increased the recording of firearm offences, particularly those committed by imitation weapons.