11 Jun 2007 : Column 890W—continued
Firearms: Sentencing
Mr. Jeremy Browne:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many and what percentage of people convicted of carrying an illegal firearm under the Criminal Justice Act 2003 have received the mandatory sentence established by the Act since it came into force, broken down by age group; [129923]
(2) what the average sentence handed down to people convicted of carrying an illegal firearm under the Criminal Justice Act 2003 was in each of the last three years. [129924]
Mr. Coaker
[holding answer 27 March 2007]: The minimum five year sentence (three years for those aged 16 or 17) came into force on 22 January 2004. The available information, relating to England and Wales for 2004 and 2005, is contained in table one. Data sent
11 Jun 2007 : Column 891W
to the Home Affairs Select Committee on 5 June (see table 2) show that the average sentence for firearms possession has increased from 27.3 months in
11 Jun 2007 : Column 892W
2003 to 47.3 months in 2005. The equivalent figures in 1995 were 12.1 months.
Figures for 2006 will be available in the autumn.
| Table 1: Persons( 1) sentenced for firearms possession offences involving mandatory custodial sentences, England and Wales |
| | | | | | | Of which: 5 years or over( 2) | |
| Offence | Statutes | Year | Age group | Total persons sentenced | Persons given immediate custody | No. | % of total sentenced | Average custodial sentence length (months) |
|
Possessing or distributing prohibited weapons or ammunition or firearm disguised as other object.
|
Firearms Act 1968 sections 5(1)(a),(ab),(aba),(ac),(ad), (ae), (af) or (c) and section 5(1 A)(a) as amended by the Criminal Justice Act 2003 section 287.
|
2004(3)
|
16-17
|
49
|
10
|
5
|
10.2
|
25.0
|
| | | |
18-20
|
122
|
35
|
13
|
10.7
|
39.5
|
| | | |
21+
|
565
|
206
|
63
|
11 .2
|
35.3
|
| | | |
Total
|
736
|
251
|
81
|
11.0
|
35.3
|
| | | | | | | | | |
| | |
2005
|
16-17
|
32
|
9
|
4
|
12.5
|
26.0
|
| | | |
18-20
|
59
|
34
|
18
|
30.5
|
45.5
|
| | | |
21+
|
294
|
199
|
124
|
42.2
|
48.6
|
| | | |
Total
|
385
|
242
|
146
|
37.9
|
47.3
|
(1) Principal offence basis.
(2) Three years in the case of persons aged 16-17.
(3) Many of the persons dealt with in 2004 will have committed their offences prior to the mandatory sentence being introduced in January 2004.
Source:
RDS-NOMS, Home Office
|
| Table 2: Persons( 1) sentenced for firearms possession offences involving mandatory custodial sentences (from 2004), England and Wales, 19995-2005 |
| | | | | | | Of which: 5 years or over( 2) | |
| Offence | Statutes | Year | Age group | Total persons sentenced | Persons given immediate custody | No. | % of total sentenced | Average custodial sentence length (months) |
|
Possessing or distributing prohibited weapons or ammunition or firearm disguised as other object.
|
Firearms Act 1968 sections 5(1 )(a), (ab), (aba)(3), (ac), (ad), (ae), (af)(4) or (c) and section 5(1A)(a) as amended by the Criminal Justice Act 2003 section 287.
|
1995
|
16-17
|
39
|
4
|
—
|
—
|
3.0
|
| | | |
18-20
|
102
|
10
|
—
|
—
|
10.2
|
| | | |
21+
|
524
|
70
|
1
|
0.2
|
12.9
|
| | | |
Total
|
665
|
84
|
1
|
0.2
|
12.1
|
| | | | | | | | | |
| | |
1996
|
16-17
|
34
|
5
|
—
|
—
|
6.0
|
| | | |
18-20
|
87
|
10
|
—
|
—
|
3.2
|
| | | |
21 +
|
597
|
93
|
9
|
1.5
|
19.4
|
| | | |
Total
|
718
|
108
|
9
|
1.3
|
17.2
|
| | | | | | | | | |
| | |
1997
|
16-17
|
32
|
3
|
—
|
—
|
10.7
|
| | | |
18-20
|
105
|
9
|
—
|
—
|
2.7
|
| | | |
21 +
|
639
|
94
|
7
|
1.1
|
16.8
|
| | | |
Total
|
776
|
106
|
7
|
0.9
|
15.3
|
| | | | | | | | | |
| | |
1998
|
16-17
|
36
|
2
|
—
|
—
|
4.5
|
11 Jun 2007 : Column 893W
11 Jun 2007 : Column 894W
| | | |
18-20
|
159
|
19
|
—
|
—
|
5.4
|
| | | |
21 +
|
836
|
150
|
7
|
0.8
|
15.1
|
| | | |
Total
|
1,031
|
171
|
7
|
0.7
|
13.9
|
| | | | | | | | | |
| | |
1999
|
16-17
|
36
|
2
|
—
|
—
|
7.5
|
| | | |
18-20
|
98
|
12
|
—
|
—
|
5.2
|
| | | |
21 +
|
666
|
124
|
7
|
1.1
|
17.1
|
| | | |
Total
|
800
|
138
|
7
|
0.9
|
15.9
|
| | | | | | | | | |
| | |
2000
|
16-17
|
35
|
3
|
.
|
_
|
10.0
|
| | | |
18-20
|
109
|
16
|
1
|
0.9
|
14.4
|
| | | |
21 +
|
585
|
123
|
5
|
0.9
|
19.6
|
| | | |
Total
|
729
|
142
|
6
|
0.8
|
18.7
|
| | | | | | | | | |
| | |
2001
|
16-17
|
62
|
2
|
—
|
—
|
8.0
|
| | | |
18-20
|
148
|
21
|
—
|
—
|
7.5
|
| | | |
21 +
|
529
|
108
|
7
|
1.3
|
21.0
|
| | | |
Total
|
739
|
131
|
7
|
0.9
|
18.7
|
| | | | | | | | | |
| | |
2002
|
16-17
|
54
|
8
|
—
|
—
|
9.8
|
| | | |
18-20
|
115
|
26
|
—
|
—
|
16.6
|
| | | |
21 +
|
603
|
140
|
15
|
2.5
|
23.0
|
| | | |
Total
|
772
|
174
|
15
|
1.9
|
21.3
|
| | | | | | | | | |
| | |
2003
|
16-17
|
52
|
8
|
—
|
—
|
11.0
|
| | | |
18-20
|
121
|
23
|
—
|
—
|
18.6
|
| | | |
21 +
|
713
|
183
|
34
|
4.8
|
29.3
|
| | | |
Total
|
886
|
214
|
34
|
3.8
|
27.3
|
| | | | | | | | | |
| | |
2004(5)
|
16-17
|
49
|
10
|
5
|
10.2
|
25.0
|
| | | |
18-20
|
122
|
35
|
13
|
10.7
|
39.5
|
| | | |
21+
|
565
|
206
|
63
|
11.2
|
35.3
|
| | | |
Total
|
736
|
251
|
81
|
11.0
|
35.3
|
| | | | | | | | | |
| | |
2005
|
16-17
|
32
|
9
|
4
|
12.5
|
26.0
|
| | | |
18-20
|
59
|
34
|
18
|
30.5
|
45.5
|
| | | |
21 +
|
294
|
199
|
124
|
42.2
|
48.6
|
| | | |
Total
|
385
|
242
|
146
|
37.9
|
47.3
|
(1) Principal offence basis.
(2) Three years in the case of persons aged 16-17.
(3) Came into force during 1997.
(4) Came into force during 2004.
(5) Many of the persons dealt with in 2004 will have committed their offences prior to the mandatory sentence being introduced in January 2004.
Note:
These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.
Source:
RDS-NOMS, Ministry of Justice
|
