§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when he plans to publish guidance concerning the criteria which shooting clubs must meet to obtain licences under the Firearms (Amendment) Bill; [8907]
(2) if he will place in the Library a draft of the criteria for the granting of licences to shooting clubs under the Firearms (Amendment) Bill; and if he will provide all shooting clubs with a copy of the draft criteria; [8917]
(3) what period of time he intends to allow to shooting clubs to comply with section 16 of the Firearms (Amendment) Bill; and what estimate he has made of the average period required to obtain planning and building regulation approvals for changes to club premises. [8918]
§ Miss WiddecombeThe requirements for the licensed pistol clubs envisaged by the Bill are being drafted. I will seek the views of the Firearms Consultative Committee and the British Shooting Sports Council on them, and will place the draft in the Library. My Department will publish the new requirements when they have been finalised and will also ensure that all existing shooting clubs that are approved under section 15 of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988 are informed of them.
A shooting club that wishes to have a licence under clause 16 of the Bill will be able to apply for that at any time after the Bill has come into force. The time it will take for clubs to obtain any necessary building consents will depend on individual circumstances.