§ John McDonnellTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the criteria are for the granting of a licence for a semi-automatic weapon in Northern Ireland. [7836]
§ Jane KennedyFirearms licensing in Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the Chief Constable under the Firearms (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 and is generally more restrictive than in Great Britain. For example, all firearms, including shotguns and air guns, require a firearm certificate. The Chief Constable shall not permit a person to hold a firearm certificate unless he is satisfied of certain statutory criteria—that a person is not prohibited by law from possessing a firearm and that the requirements in respect of fitness, good reason and public safety have been met.
The Chief Constable has advised us that the term "semi-automatic weapon" is not specifically defined in the legislation and can therefore be open to wide interpretation, eg shotguns (including pump action), 568W .22 rifles and handguns (not revolvers), target weapons and prohibited weapons. To provide an answer to this question would require an in-depth search of police records and incur disproportionate cost.
§ John McDonnellTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many applications have been registered for semi-automatic weapons in the last 12 months in Northern Ireland; [7834]
(2) how many licences for semi-automatic weapons were granted in the last 12 months in Northern Ireland. [7835]
§ Jane KennedyThe Chief Constable has advised us that the term "semi-automatic weapon" is not specifically defined in the legislation and can therefore be open to wide interpretation, eg shotguns (including pump action), 22 rifles and handguns (not revolvers), target weapons and prohibited weapons. To provide an answer to this question would require an in-depth search of police records and incur disproportionate cost.