Letter to all MPs from Gill Marshall-Andrews, Chair of Gun Control Network - 23 January 2003

Dear Member of Parliament

GUN CONTROL

Following a number of high profile murders in recent months the government has indicated its intention to tackle the problem of gun crime in inner cities.  Several measures have been promised most of which have been in the pipeline for some time. These measures are welcome but they do not amount to the radical overhaul of firearms legislation which, in our view, is required.

The principles of firearms legislation were set out clearly by the Home Affairs Committee in their report in April 2000.  The first 4 of these are:

  • protection of public safety

  • simplicity of administration

  • uniform test of an individual’s fitness to possess firearms

  • application to all firearms which have the potential to kill.

The government proposals are clearly aimed at the first of these principles but it seems that little is being done to further the others or to deal with some of the most worrying aspects of our gun legislation.

Registration of all lethal weapons

It is still legal for people, including young people, to own and use lethal weapons without any form of certificate or registration.  Most airguns are not registered and no definition of lethality exists. Airgun crime is escalating fast – they were used in over 12,000 offences last year (an increase of 21% on 2000-2001).  Children are being killed and injured by the abuse of these ‘toys’ as are many thousands of animals and birds. The new government proposals do not address the issue of registration of lethal airguns.

 GCN wishes to see lethality defined and the introduction of a single, simple system of registration for all lethal guns including rifles, shotguns and relevant airguns.

Children and Guns

Current laws allow children of any age to use guns in clubs and on private land.  There is no minimum age limit for this which is surprising given the killing power of the gun.  The new government proposals do not address this problem except to a very limited extent in relation to the unsupervised use of airguns.

 GCN is proposing a minimum age limit of 18 ( or possibly 17) for the use, possession and ownership of all guns.

Imitations

The police estimate that up to 80% of all armed crime is committed with an imitation gun.  This is defined in the 1968 Firearms Act as ‘ any thing which has the appearance of  being a firearm …. whether or not it is capable of discharging any shot, bullet or other missile’.  Imitations are freely  available in newsagents, toyshops, army surplus stores, by mail order and over the internet.  Some can easily be converted to firing real bullets e.g. the Brocock air pistol and some deactivated weapons.  The new government proposals would ban the possession of imitations in a public place but will do nothing to stop them flooding onto the market.  Other countries restrict the sale of these weapons and several cities in the US including New York City have banned or are in the process of banning  the sale of all toy guns and imitations regardless of colour, markings or discharge capability.

GCN advocates a ban on the sale, import and manufacture of imitation firearms.  This measure is a damage limitation exercise since the full scale removal of existing imitations in circulation is likely to be too difficult.

Tracking of firearms

It is clearly desirable to be able to track the movement of legal and illegal firearms within the UK and around the world. Some progress has been made on this issue in other countries and it is disappointing that we are not in the forefront of this global initiative. A proper marking and tracking system would greatly assist HM Customs to intercept illegally imported or trafficked guns but no such system is under consideration.    Even the promised database of gun owners has yet to materialise 5 years after the 1997 legislation required it to be established.   

GCN advocates the comprehensive marking and tracking of all firearms from the point of manufacture.

Many MPs have supported our campaigns in the past and we are most grateful for this. Now that the issue is high on the government’s agenda again I very much hope that  you will wish to try to persuade the Home Secretary to extend his proposals in line with the principles and suggestions outlined here.

Yours ..

*****

To the Chairs of Education Committees, 30 January 2001

The Use of Guns by Children

The Gun Control Network is a voluntary organisation set up in 1996 after the Dunblane shootings to campaign for tighter controls on guns of al kinds.  We were successful in persuading successive governments to introduce legislation to limit the private ownership of handguns and ultimately to ban them altogether in November 1997.  Since then we have been active in campaigning for other measures, notably a restriction on the use of firearms by children.

The purpose of this letter is to invite you to consider issuing advice to your schools and Youth Service about the use of guns by children.

Last year the Home Affairs Select Committee of the House of Commons undertook a review of firearms legislation.  They considered submissions from experts and interested bodies and published a Report in April 2000 containing the following recommendation:

“There should be a minimum age limited below which a child should not be allowed to handle a lethal firearm, even under supervision.  We are inclined to the view that this age should be at least twelve, and possibly fourteen.  This lower limit should apply to the handling and use of firearms in all places, including approved gun clubs”

Although this recommendation has not yet translated into new legislation, parents around the country are expressing their concern about the prospect of their children being invited to shoot and to develop an interest in guns.

Following concerns raised by parents in Derbyshire, when nine and ten year olds were offered air rifle shooting as a ‘fun’ activity on a school adventure holiday to be taken with PGL Travel Ltd., Derbyshire’s Principal Health and Safety Adviser was asked by the Chair of the Education Committee to consider the implications for the LEA of its staff having responsibility for children during shooting activities.

As a result of this exercise Derbyshire County Council reviewed its policy on shooting activities for pupils.  All headteachers have received letters strongly advising staff against undertaking shooting activities.  In addition The Head of Youth Service has written to all voluntary organisations who are, or have been in receipt of grant aid informing them that “air rifle shooting, or similar use of ‘weapons’ is not to be undertaken as part of our programme with young people.”

Offences involving air rifles have increased by almost 50% in the last ten years and account for over half of the total number of firearms offences.  Low velocity air rifles remain available to very young children at present because at the time of the 1968 legislation they were considered unable to inflict a lethal injury.  However there is now an increasing body of evidence showing that these weapons are capable of inflicting life threatening injuries and death.

Schools in America are increasingly the focus of multiple shooting tragedies. The worst gun massacre in the UK happened in a primary school.  Many parents feel it is unsafe and inappropriate for schools to promote the use of firearms, which can and do kill, by placing them in the hands of children who would not otherwise have the opportunity or the inclination to become familiar with a gun.

We very much hope that your Authority will consider implementing a policy in line with the recommendation of the Home Affairs Select Committee of introducing a minimum age of 18 for all shooting activities.  If you have any comments or queries about this or any related matter we would be delighted to hear from you.

Yours