CHILDREN'S ACCESS TO FIREARMS

Early day motion 774, tabled 31 January 2002 by Lord McCabe (Labour). Signed by 71 members.

That this House is alarmed at reports from Animal Aid that hard-sell tactics are being employed by game-shooting interests to persuade young children to take up firearms, an example being celebratory articles in shooting magazines featuring children as young as three posing with dead animals and child shooters as young as 10 carrying shotguns; further notes that in at least one reported instance; a child of nine has been granted a shooting certificate in his own name by police; and urges the Government to recognise that the activities of the shooting lobby with respect to children are irresponsible detrimental and potentially damaging, and to take prompt and decisive action to keep firearms out of the hands of small children by implementing the recommendation from the Home Affairs Select Committee to introduce an age threshold of between 12 and 14 years before guns can be used in this way.

Signatures by party: Labour 60, Liberal Democrat 5, Labour/Co-operative 4, Conservative 1, UUP 1.