I appreciate that this is naturally an issue of great
concern to members of law-abiding shooting communities in
Cornwall.
The bill proposes the prohibition of large calibre (0.50)
‘materiel destruction’ rifles and rapid-fire rifles under section 5 of the
Firearms Act 1968.
A .50 calibre ‘materiel destruction’ rifle can shoot over a
very long range. It was developed for use by the military and is designed to
damage equipment such as vehicles. Rapid-fire rifles have a very fast rate of
fire, which is greater than a conventional bolt-action rifle.
The Home Office estimates that there are 132 .50 calibre
rifles and seven hundred rapid-fire rifles currently held by registered
individuals or dealers in the UK. These types of firearms can currently be held
on a standard firearms certificate issued under section 1 of the 1968 Act.
There is a risk of these firearms falling into the wrong
hands if they are available for civilian use. In the Government summary of the
consultation exercise on the bill, a significant number of respondents
commented that the “risk to public safety from these weapons was high, and that
the police have no suitable body armour to protect themselves against such
high-powered rifles, should they fall into criminal or terrorist hands.” I also
understand that the Home office is aware of at least one incident in which a
.50 calibre rifle was stolen and subsequently recovered.
Rather than reducing the number of current incidents, the
proposals are designed to prevent future incidents. Prohibiting ‘material
destruction’ and rapid-fire rifles weapons will minimise the likelihood that
these weapons could be obtained by terrorists or criminals in future.
Given the recent surge in gun crime in England and Wales
(11% rise compared to previous year), I am keen to ensure that we get the
balance right between making firearms available for sport and land management
purposes, and protecting public interest and safety. Compared to many other
developed countries however, the UK should be proud of its record. Gun murder
rate in England and Wales is about one for every 1 million people. In the US,
by contrast, there are about 160 times as many gun murders in a country that is
only six times larger in population than the UK.
