Written question asked by Winston Churchill (Conservative), in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 25 November 1996. It was answered by Ann Widdecombe (Conservative) on Monday, 25 November 1996 on behalf of the Home Office.

Home Office

Question: How many legally held firearms are known to have been used in the commission or furtherance of criminal acts in each of the last 10 years to March 1996. - Including figure. (Holding answer 18 November 1996).

Answer: Mr. Churchill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many legally held firearms are known to have been used in the commission or furtherance of criminal acts in each of the last 10 years to March 1996. [4380] Miss Widdecombe: [holding answer 18 November 1996]: Information as to whether firearms used in offences are legally held has not, in the past, been routinely collected centrally in England and Wales. A special exercise has recently been conducted to find out whether the guns used in homicide were licensed or not. This covered the years 1992 to 1994, and out of a total of 196 homicides, information was available in 152 cases to show that 22 cases or 14 per cent. involved the use of a firearm legally held by the suspect.

Secondary information