5 replies to this topic

[Strike Team]

EDITED TO ADD: DEADLINE FOR RESPONDING IS AUGUST 27TH

The house of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, a powerful and influential organisation within Parliament, is carrying out a consultation on firearms legislation.

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Home Affairs Committee announces a new inquiry into Firearms Control
15 July 2010

On 15 July, the Home Affairs Committee announced a new inquiry into firearms control. The Committee will examine whether or not there is a need for changes to the way in which firearms and/or shotgun certificates are issued, monitored or reviewed as a means of preventing gun violence. In particular the inquiry will focus on:

* The extent to which legally-held guns are used in criminal activity and the relationship between gun control and gun crime, including the impact of the Firearms (Amendment) Acts 1997;
* Whether or not the current laws governing firearms licensing are fit for purpose, including progress on implementing the Committee’s recommendations set out in its Second Report of the 1999-2000 session;
* Proposals to improve information-sharing between medics and the police in respect of gun licensing;
* Information-sharing between police and prisons in assessing the risk of offenders who may have access to firearms; and
* The danger presented by, and legislation regulating, airguns.

The Committee is seeking written submissions of no more than 2,500 words from interested parties, before it takes oral evidence on this inquiry. Organisations and individuals interested in making written submissions are invited to do so by Friday 27th August 2010. Further advice on making a submission can be found below.

Oral evidence sessions will be held on Tuesdays in the autumn: further announcements will be made in due course.

Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP, Chair of the Committee, said:

“In the light of the recent tragic shootings in Cumbria and in Northumberland, the Committee wishes to examine the legislation governing firearms.”

“It will seek to determine whether there are lessons to be learnt from recent events, including the role of doctors and criminal justice agencies in liaising with police to assess the risk posed by individuals. We also want to be certain that our gun laws are clear, transparent and enforceable.”

More information on the Houses of Parliament website here

There is no doubt the Gun Control Network and other numpties will respond, pushing for yet more pointless restrictions on shooting sports. We need to respond too. BASC have produced a helpful guide to how to respond here. If you can't access the BASC document, then you'll need to install Adobe Acroba Reader, available here

I'll be writing a response in the next day or 2, and will post my response here. The deadline is Friday August 27th, so time is short.

[Kenny]

Thanks Jim i will also be responding to this.

just remember that it is covering the firearms act as a whole and not just Airguns.
So bare this in mind when replying.

Kenny

[Strike Team]

My response:

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Submission to the Home Affairs Committee Inquiry Into Firearms Control

About the Author
Over the past 20 years I have gained enormous enjoyment from field target, clay pigeon, fullbore and match rifle shooting. This hobby is particularly important to me, as I have suffered from M.E. for most of this period, and have been unable to enjoy more physically active sports. I am currently secretary of Westfield Air Rifle Club, which has around 55 members ranging from teens through to retired, and includes several disabled members. Westfield ARC runs regular Field Target and Hunter Field Target competitions, as well as providing a place for shooters of all ages to enjoy informal air rifle shooting in a safe and properly supervised environment.

Summary of Submission
Current gun legislation is already sufficient, hence there is no need to impose additional restrictions. There is a need to radically simplify the currently over-complex licencing system, to reduce the bureaucratic burden on the police. The handgun ban has proved ineffective and should be repealed. Airgun misuse is best dealt with through firm enforcement of existing laws, and though education.

The extent to which legally-held guns are used in criminal activity and the relationship between gun control and gun crime, including the impact of the Firearms (Amendment) Acts 1997
The 1997 handgun ban has failed miserably to protect the public. 10 years after a complete ban, handguns are used in 52% of all non-airgun crime. Mandatory compensation for legal pistol owners has cost the taxpayer tens of millions of pounds, which would have been far better spent on employing more police to tackle gun misuse. The UK's olympic pistol team are force to practice abroad, reducing the nation's chances of winning Olympic medals. Given this failure, the handgun ban should be repealed.

There is no correlation between legal gun ownership and criminal firearm misuse. Gun crime rose steadily from 1999, peaking in 2003-04, while during this period the number of firearm and shotgun certificates fell by 8% and 9% respectively. Switzerland has very high levels of gun ownership, including hundreds of thousand of privately held automatic weapons, yet has very low rates of gun crime.

Whether or not the current laws governing firearms licensing are fit for purpose, including progress on implementing the Committee’s recommendations set out in its Second Report of the 1999-2000 session
The background checks in place for Shotgun and firearm Certificates are already sufficient. The police can refuse a Shotgun/Firearm certificate if they have grounds to believe the applicant is not suitable, based on prior convictions, police intelligence, medical reports and a personal interview with the applicant. The system is however far too bureaucratic, with separate licence applications required for shotguns and rifles, and an unnecessary need to justify every gun kept on a Firearm Certificate. The Shotgun Certificate system is the less bureaucratic of the two, it should be extended to cover guns currently subject to Firearms Certification to reduce the burden on the police and free up resources.

There have been demands for under 18's to be prevented from engaging in shooting sports. This would be counter-productive as it is best for children/teenagers to learn to use guns safely and responsibly at an early age, as well as providing a valuable broader lesson in personal reponsibility.

Proposals to improve information-sharing between medics and the police in respect of gun licensing
Given the poor security of government databases, and the numerous cases in which confidential information has been leaked, recording the fact that a patient is a gun owner on a medical database will only increase the risk of gun theft. Information sharing regarding between GPs and the police will also deter gun owners from seeking help for minor mental health issues.

Information-sharing between police and prisons in assessing the risk of offenders who may have access to firearms
There is a clear need to share information effectively between the prison service and police. Had threats made by Raoul Moat against his ex-girlfriend immediately prior to his release been passed on to the police from the prison service, it may have been possible to prevent him from committing subsequent murders.

The danger presented by, and legislation regulating, airguns
The laws governing air guns are already sufficient to prevent misuse. The law imposes severe penalties, up to and including life imprisonment, for airgun crimes. Rather than a licencing system, which will impose yet more bureaucracy on a police service already crippled by paperwork, existing law need to be enforced properly, with tough sentences imposed on those who criminally misuse airguns. Education in responsible and lawful airgun use is equally important, as many incidents of misuse happen due to ignorance of the law and basic safety procedures. Lessons in responsible and lawful airgun use should be added to the school curriculum.

[mosstrooper]

Good response Strike team !

[Strike Team]

Thanks Tom.

[Kenny]

I submitted mine aswell.


Kenny