The UK has some of the toughest gun laws in the world and as a result firearms continue to be used in a small and diminishing proportion of total police recorded crime - 0.2%. Offences involving firearms (excluding air weapons)
recorded by the police have fallen by 39% between year ending June 2010 (7,991 offences) and year ending March 2014 (4,843 offences).
Nevertheless the Government continues to undertake work to reduce the number of firearms and crimes relating to them in the UK. We have recently introduced legislation to:
\u2022 increase the maximum sentence for import and export of prohibited firearms from ten years to life imprisonment;
\u2022 increase the maximum sentence for the manufacture, sale or transfer and purchase or acquire for sale or transfer illegal firearms from ten years to life imprisonment; and,
\u2022 introduce a new offence of possession with intent to supply, with a tough maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
In addition, the Law Commission is taking forward a scoping review of firearms law during 2015.
Following the recent terrorist attacks in Paris we have reviewed our efforts against illegal firearms. As the Home Secretary made clear in her statement on 14 January, we are stepping up our efforts with our international partners to crack
down on the illegal smuggling of weapons across borders.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1531", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Featherstone"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hornsey and Wood Green"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lynne Featherstone"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-01-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "221416"} , {"_value" : "221417"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-01-22T16:40:18.46Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2015-01-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Firearms: Licensing"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the number of illegal firearms.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/308", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Coventry South"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Jim Cunningham"} ], "uin" : "221415"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/174768", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/174768/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The UK has some of the toughest gun laws in the world and as a result firearms continue to be used in a small and diminishing proportion of total police recorded crime - 0.2%. Offences involving firearms (excluding air weapons)
recorded by the police have fallen by 39% between year ending June 2010 (7,991 offences) and year ending March 2014 (4,843 offences).
Nevertheless the Government continues to undertake work to reduce the number of firearms and crimes relating to them in the UK. We have recently introduced legislation to:
\u2022 increase the maximum sentence for import and export of prohibited firearms from ten years to life imprisonment;
\u2022 increase the maximum sentence for the manufacture, sale or transfer and purchase or acquire for sale or transfer illegal firearms from ten years to life imprisonment; and,
\u2022 introduce a new offence of possession with intent to supply, with a tough maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
In addition, the Law Commission is taking forward a scoping review of firearms law during 2015.
Following the recent terrorist attacks in Paris we have reviewed our efforts against illegal firearms. As the Home Secretary made clear in her statement on 14 January, we are stepping up our efforts with our international partners to crack
down on the illegal smuggling of weapons across borders.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1531", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Featherstone"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hornsey and Wood Green"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lynne Featherstone"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-01-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "221415"} , {"_value" : "221417"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-01-22T16:40:18.583Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2015-01-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Firearms: Licensing"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to reduce criminal access to illegal firearms.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/308", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Coventry South"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Jim Cunningham"} ], "uin" : "221416"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/174770", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/174770/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The UK has some of the toughest gun laws in the world and as a result firearms continue to be used in a small and diminishing proportion of total police recorded crime - 0.2%. Offences involving firearms (excluding air weapons)
recorded by the police have fallen by 39% between year ending June 2010 (7,991 offences) and year ending March 2014 (4,843 offences).
Nevertheless the Government continues to undertake work to reduce the number of firearms and crimes relating to them in the UK. We have recently introduced legislation to:
\u2022 increase the maximum sentence for import and export of prohibited firearms from ten years to life imprisonment;
\u2022 increase the maximum sentence for the manufacture, sale or transfer and purchase or acquire for sale or transfer illegal firearms from ten years to life imprisonment; and,
\u2022 introduce a new offence of possession with intent to supply, with a tough maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
In addition, the Law Commission is taking forward a scoping review of firearms law during 2015.
Following the recent terrorist attacks in Paris we have reviewed our efforts against illegal firearms. As the Home Secretary made clear in her statement on 14 January, we are stepping up our efforts with our international partners to crack
down on the illegal smuggling of weapons across borders.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1531", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Featherstone"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hornsey and Wood Green"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lynne Featherstone"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-01-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "221415"} , {"_value" : "221416"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-01-22T16:40:18.697Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2015-01-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Firearms: Licensing"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department last reviewed the effectiveness of Government policy aimed at reducing the number of illegal firearms.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/308", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Coventry South"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Jim Cunningham"} ], "uin" : "221417"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/174432", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/174432/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The changes are designed to speed up decision-making on further submissions, enabling us to grant protection more quickly to those who need it and remove those who have no right to be here.
Centralising the process will allow us to make decisions within five working days in most cases. The new process applies only to failed asylum seekers whose claims have already been refused, and their appeal rights exhausted.
There have been extensive internal discussions with policy experts, legal advisers and operational staff during the development of this policy. We believe that early public consultation would have led to a rush of further
submissions, but we notified the National Asylum Stakeholder Forum in advance of the changes. There is already a nationwide requirement for those who claimed asylum before March 2007 to lodge further submissions in Liverpool.
Travel costs will not be reimbursed. In exceptional cases where a person is genuinely unable to travel to Liverpool, for example due to a disability or severe illness, there is provision to accept further submissions by post.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1530", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for James Brokenshire"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Old Bexley and Sidcup"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "James Brokenshire"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-01-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-01-22T14:01:11.29Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2015-01-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Asylum: Liverpool"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons her Department decided that further submissions on asylum and human rights cases must be made in person in Liverpool; with which bodies her Department consulted before making that decision; and what assistance her Department will provide to help individuals travel to Liverpool to make such submissions.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1170", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sarah Teather"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Brent Central"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Sarah Teather"} ], "uin" : "221184"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/174433", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/174433/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The United Kingdom has a proud tradition of providing protection to those who need it and we will continue to fulfil our responsibilities to those who arrive in the UK and claim asylum.
However to be eligible for international protection under the 1951 Refugee Convention, a person must be located outside their country of origin. We cannot undertake to consider granting asylum to individuals or groups of
people abroad and it is not our practice to grant visas for the purpose of seeking asylum. It is understood that Mr Badawi\u2019s wife and children havebeen given asylum in Canada.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1530", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for James Brokenshire"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Old Bexley and Sidcup"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "James Brokenshire"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-01-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-01-22T13:59:51.673Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2015-01-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Asylum: Saudi Arabia"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will offer asylum to Raif Badawi and his family.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/304", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Birmingham, Hall Green"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Roger Godsiff"} ], "uin" : "221185"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/174435", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/174435/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The information requested is given in the table below:<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>