From: Rusty�Bullethole, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Times 5.10.00
Straw to tighten gun laws despite Olympic success
BY RICHARD FORD, HOME CORRESPONDENT
GUN laws are to be tightened under government
proposals condemned last night by shooting and sporting
organisations. They claimed that the measures could
affect Britain's chances of winning future Olympic gold
medals.
Under the proposals announced yesterday, tougher
conditions are to be introduced on the ownership of
shotguns. Anyone applying for a shotgun certificate will
have to demonstrate to the police that they have "good
reason" for possessing the weapon.
Police will require two detailed character
references with applications for a shotgun certificate
instead of the present requirement of two
countersignatories on the application form.
The minimum age limit for ownership of a firearm
and holding a firearms certificate is to rise from 17
to 18 and children under the age of 16 are to be banned
from the unsupervised use of firearms.
Ministers are also to consider allowing the sale
of airguns only through registered firearms dealers,
banning the sale of imitation firearms to those aged
under 18 and banning mail order sales of firearms.
Jack Straw, the Home Secretary, offered a
concession to the sporting community by announcing that
pistol shooting events would be held at the next
Commonwealth Games in spite of the ban on handguns.
He said that pistol shooting events would be
allowed at the Commonwealth Shooting Federation in 2001
and the 2002 Commonwealth Games.
In spite of attempting to meet the concerns of
the shooting community, ministers fear that they may
face another confrontation with the countryside lobby.
Last night the British Shooting Sports Council
said that the Home Office plans for tougher gun controls
would prevent young people from taking up the sport.
Pat Johnson, secretary of the council, said: "It
will make it more difficult for us to produce another
Richard Faulds. These proposals will make it harder for
youngsters wanting to take up shooting."
Mr Faulds won a gold medal in the men's shooting
double trap and Ian Peel won a silver in the men's
shooting trap during the Olympics.
In a clear attempt not to antagonise the
countryside lobby, the Government rejected a proposal
by the Home Affairs Select Committee to ban young people
from handling guns.
Charles Clarke, Minister of State at the Home
Office, told a press conference in London that the
Government wanted to let youngsters train under
supervision to a competitive level in shooting sports.
"If we simply banned young people under the age
of 16 from handling guns then we could end up in the
position of simply not having sporting activity in this
area at all in a few years," he said.
In an effort to head off a full-scale confrontation
with the shooting lobby, the Government rejected one of
the committee's main recommendations, for a licensing
system for Britain's four million airguns, on the grounds
that it would be too cumbersome, costly and would prove
too difficult to administer.
The Police Superintendents' Association of England
and Wales said that it was disappointed by this rejection.
Peter Gammon, president of the association, said:
"They can be lethal weapons. There are some very powerful
air weapons not subject to licensing on the market." The
proposals were branded bureaucratic and ill-considered
by Britain's gun lobby yesterday. The British Association
for Shooting and Conservation called for shooters to
stand up for their sport.
Bill Harriman, head of firearms at the BASC, said:
"These ill-considered ideas purport to strike at armed
crime but, in reality, all that they will do is to
further prevent the ownership and use of firearms by
law-abiding people.
"Everyone who cares about shooting sports must
oppose these recommendations."
The Clay Pigeon Shooting Association said that the
regulations were a smokescreen for a government that was
not tackling the real problem of criminals managing to
obtain guns.
Emilio Roduna, executive director, said: "The
Government keep saying their main concern is public
safety, but I don't believe that the safety of the
public was ever in danger from legitimate holders of guns
for sporting purposes.
"The tighter controls on shotguns are arbitrary and
without justification, and only serve to penalise
law-abiding people for no real reason."
Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org
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