Offensive Weapons Mr. Jim Cunningham To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government has taken to reduce the number of dangerous weapons on the streets since 1997. Mr. Coaker [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. Mr. Jim Cunningham To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government are taking to ensure young people are unable to purchase knives. Mr. Coaker [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. Mr. Ruffley To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many knives have been recovered in knife amnesty initiatives in (a) England and Wales and (b) each police force area in each of the last five years. Mr. Coaker 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.| | | | | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------