§ 44. Mr. CranTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans there are to prohibit the granting of a firearms licence to those under a certain age.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggUnder section 22(2) of the Firearms Act 1968 it is an offence for a person under the age of 14 to have in his possession any firearm or ammunition to which section 1 of the Act applies, except in the limited circumstances specified where a firearm certificate is not required anyway. These include target practice at an approved club and shooting at a miniature rifle range. Accordingly, firearm certificates are issued only to those over 14 years of age. We have no proposals to change the law in this respect.
With regard to shotgun certificates, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for Devon, North (Mr. Speller).