§ Mr. DicksTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take action to ensure that the removal of customs barriers between Great Britain and continental EC countries does not lead to a flood of automatic weapons being brought into the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Charles WardleAll European Community states are bound by the EC weapons directive, which came into effect on 1 January 1993. Under the directive the possession of automatic firearms is prohibited throughout the Community.
Also under the directive, movements of other firearms are subject to a new licensing system. As before, anyone purchasing a firearm in another EC state must have prior permission from the police to bring it into the United Kingdom. But in addition to this, notice of each transfer of a firearm to this country will now be sent to my Department via a new Community-wide information system. The information will be passed to police and customs officers who will investigate any apparent irregularities.