§ Mr. BrightTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to implement the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988.
§ Mr. HurdI made a commencement order on 19 December 1988 which will bring into effect on 1 February 1989 the following provisions:
Section Provision 1 Prohibited weapons and ammunition 7(1) Converted prohibited weapons 8 De-activated weapons 9 Photographs on certificates 10 Statements in support of certificates applications 12 Revocation of certificates 13(2)(3)(4)(5) Firearms dealers 14 Auctioneers, carriers and warehousemen 16 Borrowed rifles on private premises 21 Payments in respect of prohibited weapons 22 Firearms consultative committee 23(1)(2)(3) and (7) Minor and consequential amendments 24(1) Expenses 25 Interpretation and supplementary provisions Transitional arrangements have been made to allow owners of newly prohibited weapons a period of three months—from 1 February to 30 April 1989—in which to dispose of their weapons. They may do so by sale to a registered firearms dealer, by transfer to such a dealer for the purpose of having the gun de-activated or, if the gun was legitimately held before 23 September 1987, by surrender to the police under the Government's buy-in scheme. Full details of the scheme together with an application form will be included in a leaflet which will be available from police stations in January.
Transitional arrangements have also been made to allow registered firearms dealers to continue to handle newly prohibited weapons for the purpose of their disposal for a period of nine months until 31 October 1989.
A second order to be made next year will bring into effect the remaining provisions.