HC Deb 04 June 1998 vol 313 c310W
Mr. William Ross

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish on the same date, in the Welsh and English languages, the firearms and shotgun application forms and certificates that are currently under revision. [44097]

Mr. Michael

The Government's priority in revising the Firearms Rules is to implement the changes to firearms licensing provided for in the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 and as recommended by Lord Cullen in his report on the Dunblane tragedy. Because of the pressing need to introduce the new Rules, the prescribed firearms licensing forms will be published in English in the first instance but we have discussed with the Welsh Language Board our wish to produce these complex forms in Welsh as well as English. We will publish Welsh language versions of the forms as soon as possible.