HL Deb 24 January 2001 vol 621 cc16-7WA
The Earl of Shrewsbury

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will provide details of all cases in the last five years in which chief officers of police have been compelled by existing law to grant shotgun certificates to persons whom they believe did not have a good reason for acquiring or possessing a shotgun; whether any danger to public safety has arisen from any of these cases; and if such information is not held centrally, whether they will take steps to do so. [HL295]

Lord Bassam of Brighton

This information is not recorded centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. We have asked the Firearms Consultative Committee (FCC), the independent statutory body that advises the Government on firearms matters, to explore the issues surrounding the introduction of a requirement for shotgun certificate holders to show good reason for possessing shotguns.