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11 Jul 2005 : Column 766W—continued
Female Genital Mutilation
Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with which countries his Department has had discussions regarding the extra-territorial aspects of the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2004. [8507]
Paul Goggins
[holding answer 4 July 2005]: The Home Office has not had any discussions with other countries about the extra-territorial aspects of the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003.
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The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, (FCO) which has responsibility for consular cases involving female genital mutilation, (FGM) has ensured that all posts are aware of this Act and has asked staff in countries with high prevalence rates to report on the action they could take to assist potential victims. In addition, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has had discussions with relevant authorities in France about the action taken by French consular staff to assist victims of FGM and are planning to approach those in the Netherlands. Further guidance for consular staff is being developed by the FCO, in conjunction with the police and social services.
More generally, the FCO and DfID fund projects aimed at eradicating FGM overseas and providing adequate health care for girls and women affected by it. The FCO also works, through the UN and other international bodies, to encourage countries which have not done so to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women.
Firearms Offences
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many air weapon offences have been committed in England and Wales by (a) 14, (b) 15, (c) 16, (d) 17-year-olds and (e) those over 18 years since the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 came into force. [9422]
Hazel Blears: Offences under the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003, Section 37 came into force on 20 January 2004. Statistics of court proceedings for 2004 will be published in the autumn of 2005.
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research has been carried out on the effects of the provisions relating to air weapons in the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003; and on what basis the decision was taken to raise the age limit for air weapons. [9426]
Hazel Blears: There has been no central research into the effects of the provisions in the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 relating to air weapons. It is not possible to establish the age of offenders from offence statistics, which remain unacceptably high, but the Government believe that much of this misuse is carried out by young people and that a further increase in the age limit will help to prevent this.
Stewart Hosie:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes were recorded by the police in which (a) a firearm was alleged to have
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been used and (b) an identified firearm other than an air weapon was alleged to have been used in (i) England and (ii) Wales from 1994 to 2004 in (A) total and (B) as a percentage of all crimes. [7259]
Hazel Blears [holding answer 27 June 2005]: The information requested is given in the following table.
n/a=not available.
(66)There was a change in the counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998.
(67)Figures for some crime categories may have been inflated by some police forces implementing the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard in advance of national implementation.
(68)The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced on 1 April 2002. Figures before and after this date are not directly comparable.
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes were recorded by the police in which a firearm was alleged to have been used, broken down by (a) crime and (b) firearm used for England and Wales for each year since 2001. [7260]
Hazel Blears [holding answer 27 June 2005]: The information requested is given in the table.
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(69)Figures may have been inflated by some police forces implementing the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard before l April 2002
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Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been killed by firearms since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [8522]
Hazel Blears: The number of homicides involving firearms, including air weapons, in England and Wales is given in the table.
| Number of homicides | |
|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 54 |
| 1998–99 | 49 |
| 1999–2000 | 62 |
| 2000–01 | 73 |
| 2001–02 | 97 |
| 2002–03 | 81 |
| 2003–04 | 68 |
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many air weapon offences have been committed in England and Wales by persons aged (a) 14, (b) 15, (c) 16, (d) 17 and (e) over 18 years sincethe Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 came into force. [8676]
Hazel Blears: Offences under the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003, Section 37 came into force on 20 January 2004. Statistics of court proceedings for 2004 will be published in the autumn of 2005.
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research has been carried out on the effects of recent changes in air weapon legislation in the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003; and what the evidential basis was for raising the minimum age for air weapons to 18. [8680]
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Hazel Blears: There has been no central research into the effects of the provisions in the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 relating to air weapons. It is not possible to establish the age of offenders from offence statistics, which remain unacceptably high, but the Government believe that much of this misuse is carried out by young people and that a further increase in the age limit will help to prevent this.
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