Firing Ranges
Defence
Jeffrey M Donaldson (Lagan Valley, DUP)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many firing ranges are operated by (a) his Department and (b) the Defence Infrastructure Organisation; on how many such ranges licensed civilian gun clubs are not permitted regular access; for what reasons civilian gun clubs are not given regular access to certain ranges; on how many such ranges licensed civilian gun clubs are required to undergo counter terrorism check vetting; and how long it took on average for vetting of civilian gun clubs for access to defence firing ranges in the latest period for which figures are available.
Andrew Robathan (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans), Defence; South Leicestershire, Conservative)
holding answer
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) operates and manages 542 firing ranges.
MOD ranges are made available for use by civilian gun clubs only when there is spare capacity. Military training requirements always take precedence. All gun clubs must be licensed and it is an individual Station Commander's responsibility to approve or deny access to their station.
Access to all military sites is subject to strict security arrangements.
Figures on the duration for vetting of civilian gun clubs, is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.