§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the names of those responsible bodies and organisations which, to date, have made formal written submissions containing an objection, a legal submission that the proposed condition is ultra vires or alternatives in the interests of public safety, to the territorial recommendations included in his recent working party report into the administration of the Firearms Act 1968.
§ Mr. Giles ShawAs I stated in my reply to the hon. Member's question on 5 June, at columns 159–60, we have not yet begun our formal review of the operation of the working party's recommended territorial condition. The British Deer Society and the Shooting Sportsperson's Liaison Committee, however, have already submitted comments in anticipation of the review and I am aware that the latter organisation's submission includes a legal opinion.
§ Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with regard to the administration of the Firearms Act 1968 and his recent working party's report, if he will make a statement to clarify what is defined as 454W (a) an open certificate, (b) a territorially unrestricted certificate and (c) a territorially restricted certificate in that report.
§ Mr. Giles ShawParagraph 16 of the report of the working party on the administration of the Firearms Act 1968 refers to "open" certificates as
ones containing no territorial condition".The term "territorially unrestricted certificate", which is not used in the report, suggests a certificate which does not contain a condition restricting the areas of land over which the firearm may be used, while the term "territorially restricted" suggests a certificate which does.