Firing Ranges: Death and Injuries

Ministry of Defence written question – answered am ar 6 Mawrth 2024.

Danfonwch hysbysiad imi am ddadleuon fel hyn

Photo of Siobhain McDonagh Siobhain McDonagh Llafur, Mitcham and Morden

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people suffered (a) death and (b) injury on his Departments firing ranges in each year since 2018.

Photo of Andrew Murrison Andrew Murrison The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence

Since 2018, there have been two fatalities involving UK Armed Forces personnel on firing ranges. These occurred in 2018 and 2021.

During the same period 1,429 people sustained injuries on firing ranges. The table below provides a breakdown of injuries by year between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2023:

Table 1: Number of people injured at firing ranges broken down by year.

'Table 1 lists all injuries linked to firing range activities. These injuries range from superficial e.g. abrasions, lacerations, physical strains, falls to more severe e.g. gunshot wounds, hearing loss.'

Calendar Year

Total

All

1,429

2018

158

2019

160

2020

168

2021

243

2022[1]

332

2023

368

[1] The annual increases in 2022 and 2023 may be due to improved reporting levels due to a new reporting system being introduced.

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