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<p>The Department takes the issue of security within courts extremely seriously and
has a robust security and safety system to protect all court users and the judiciary.
Security procedures, including the detection technology used, is continuously reviewed
to ensure that security is as effective as possible’</p><p> </p><p>The number of confiscated
knives, firearms and other weapons in Magistrates and Crown Courts are as follows:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>
</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>
</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td colspan="2"><p><del
class="ministerial"><strong>Knives</strong></del></p></td><td colspan="2"><p><del
class="ministerial"><strong>Firearms (incl. Replicas)</strong></del></p></td><td colspan="2"><p><del
class="ministerial"><strong>Other weapons **</strong></del></p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p><del
class="ministerial">Financial year</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">Crown</del></p></td><td><p><del
class="ministerial">Magistrates</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">Crown</del></p></td><td><p><del
class="ministerial">Magistrates</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">Crown</del></p></td><td><p><del
class="ministerial">Magistrates</del></p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p><del
class="ministerial"><strong>12/13*</strong></del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">322</del></p></td><td><p><del
class="ministerial">1252</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">6</del></p></td><td><p><del
class="ministerial">14</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">246</del></p></td><td><p><del
class="ministerial">2325</del></p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p><del class="ministerial"><strong>13/14</strong></del></p></td><td><p><del
class="ministerial">705</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">3108</del></p></td><td><p><del
class="ministerial">7</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">24</del></p></td><td><p><del
class="ministerial">1002</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">6418</del></p></td><td><p>
</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><del class="ministerial"><strong>14/15</strong></del></p></td><td><p><del
class="ministerial">3,469</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">3,439</del></p></td><td><p><del
class="ministerial">12</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">19</del></p></td><td
colspan="2"><p><del class="ministerial">Currently unavailable</del></p></td><td><p>
</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><del class="ministerial"><strong>Total</strong></del></p></td><td><p><del
class="ministerial">4,496</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">7,799</del></p></td><td><p><del
class="ministerial">25</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">57</del></p></td><td><p><del
class="ministerial">1,248</del></p></td><td><p><del class="ministerial">8,743</del></p></td><td><p>
</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>
</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="7"><p><del
class="ministerial"><strong>* </strong>Figures for 2012/13 include data for an additional
8 week period from 1 February 2012 when the Total Facilities Management (TFM) contract
was introduced. </del><br /><del class="ministerial"> ** ’Other weapons’ are any items
Security Officers deem could be used as a weapon, includes for 2014/15 items such
as glass bottles and items which would not have been deemed as weapons. Robust analysis
of the data is underway.</del></p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>
</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>
</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><ins
class="ministerial"><strong> </strong></ins></p></td><td colspan="2"><p><ins class="ministerial"><strong>Knives</strong></ins></p></td><td
colspan="2"><p><ins class="ministerial"><strong>Firearms (incl. Replicas)</strong></ins></p></td><td
colspan="2"><p><ins class="ministerial"><strong>Other weapons (tools and sharp objects)</strong></ins></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><ins
class="ministerial">Financial year</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">Crown</ins></p></td><td><p><ins
class="ministerial">Magistrates</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">Crown</ins></p></td><td><p><ins
class="ministerial">Magistrates</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">Crown</ins></p></td><td><p><ins
class="ministerial">Magistrates</ins></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><ins class="ministerial">12/13*</ins></p></td><td><p><ins
class="ministerial">322</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">1252</ins></p></td><td><p><ins
class="ministerial">6</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">14</ins></p></td><td><p><ins
class="ministerial">246</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">2325</ins></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><ins
class="ministerial">13/14</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">705</ins></p></td><td><p><ins
class="ministerial">3108</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">7</ins></p></td><td><p><ins
class="ministerial">24</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">1994</ins></p></td><td><p><ins
class="ministerial">12,388</ins></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><ins class="ministerial">14/15</ins></p></td><td><p><ins
class="ministerial">3,469</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">3,439</ins></p></td><td><p><ins
class="ministerial">12</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">19</ins></p></td><td><p><ins
class="ministerial">4,063</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">12,701</ins></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><ins
class="ministerial">Total</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">4,496</ins></p></td><td><p><ins
class="ministerial">7,799</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">25</ins></p></td><td><p><ins
class="ministerial">57</ins></p></td><td><p><ins class="ministerial">6,303</ins></p></td><td><p><ins
class="ministerial">27,414</ins></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><ins class="ministerial"><strong>*</strong>Figures
for 2012/13 include data for an additional 8 week period from 1 February 2012 when
the Total Facilities Management (TFM) contract was introduced.</ins></p><p>The figures
provided do not cover the period prior to 1 February 2012 as there was no consolidated
reporting of items confiscated from court users prior to the introduction of the Total
Facilities Management contract. For the purpose of this answer only full financial
years have been provided.</p><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial">Analysis of the data
for 2014/15 captured in the “other category” is currently underway to establish which
items are or could be deemed as weapons, as the currently centrally held data represents
a “catch all” and therefore may be misleading. I will write to the Hon. Member as
soon as possible to provide clarity on that category.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The
increase in the number of weapons taken from people as they enter Crown Courts between
2012/13 and 2014/15 may be due to the implementation of more robust training for Court
Security Officers; improved rates of recording for the taking of such items and improved
searching of people entering Crown Courts.</ins></p>
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