Firearms: Crime Tim Loughton To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people under the age of 21 have been charged with firearms offences in each of the last five years. Mr. Coaker Information on charges brought by the police are only held by the police themselves and not reported to the Office for Criminal Justice Reform. However, data on cases brought to court are collected, and information on the number of persons under 21 years of age proceeded against for firearms offences in England and Wales for the years 2001-05 is provided in the table. Data for 2006 will be available in the autumn. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |Number proceeded against| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2001 |1,193 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2002 |1,014 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2003 |959 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2004 |1,273 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2005 |1,444 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1 These data are provided 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.3 See the following offence table for offences used.| | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |Offence | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Indictable firearms offences| | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |514-516 |Possession of firearms with intent to endanger life or injure property | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |517-519 |Using firearms with intent to resist arrest | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |813-815 |Possessing firearms at time of committing, or being arrested for, an offence | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |816-818 |Possessing firearms with intent to commit an indictable offence or resist arrest | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |823-825 |Possessing firearms with intent to cause fear of violence | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |8103 |Possessing firearms or ammunition without certificate (Section 1)(2) | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |8115 |Shortening a shot gun | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |8104 |Possessing shot gun without certificate | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |8109-8110 |Selling firearms to person without a certificate | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |8117 |Possessing or distributing prohibited weapons or ammunition | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |8126-8127 |Carrying loaded firearm in public place | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |8135-8137 |Possession of firearms by persons previously convicted of crime | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |8170 |Possessing or distributing prohibited weapons designed for discharge of noxious liquid etc.(2)| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |other81 |Other indictable offence | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Summary firearms offences | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |11504 |Non-compliance with condition of firearms certificate (Section 1)(3) | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |11528 |Carrying air weapon or imitation weapon in public place(4) | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |11532-11534 |Trespassing with firearm on land | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |11541-11543 |Person under 17 acquiring firearm subject to control under Section 1 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |11559-11560 |Making false statement in order to procure grant or renewal of firearm or shot gun certificate| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |11506 |Non-compliance with condition of shot gun certificate | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |11546 |Person under 14 having an air weapon or ammunition | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |11547 |Person under 17 having an air weapon in a public place | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |other 115 + 14103 |Other summary firearms offence | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------