Clause 30 - Manufacture, import and sale of realistic imitation firearms

Part of Violent Crime Reduction Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 5:30 pm on 25 October 2005.

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Photo of Hazel Blears Hazel Blears Minister of State (Home Office) (Policing, Security and Community Safety), Member, Labour Party National Executive Committee 5:30, 25 October 2005

This has been a very interesting debate, with contributions from a range of Members. I commend my hon. Friend the Member for Hackney, North and Stoke Newington, who set out in graphic, real terms, which drew on her own experience, the problem at which the Bill is aimed. There is no better illustration of the problem that we face.

I hope that the hon. Member for Huntingdon and other Opposition Members accept—the hon. Member for Rugby and Kenilworth has done so before—that there is a real problem out there and that we are doing our best to draft legislation that targets that mischief, but which, at the same time, is not so broad as to bring within its ambit people who are genuinely going about their business, whether it involves historical re-enactments, TV and film, or museums and cultural displays. That is not what the Bill is aimed at: it is aimed at people with realistic imitations that could be used to frighten and threaten others and to cause them the distress and anxiety that we have discussed. Last year, there were 3,268 offences involving imitation weapons, so there is clearly a significant problem. Although the majority of such offences are concentrated in our big cities, the issue concerns us all, irrespective of what kind of constituency we represent.

I agree with hon. Members that banning realistic imitations will not of itself ensure that we do away with the gun crime problem in this country; it would be absurd of me to suggest otherwise. However, the Bill is an additional measure, which will help us and give the police extra tools to tackle the problem. All the examples given by the hon. Member for Huntingdon related to the use of realistic imitations, but the Bill is about banning their manufacture, supply and import so that we can reduce the supply of those weapons; it is not directed at their use.

I do not pretend that the clause is perfect and I have undertaken to consider a number of issues further to see whether we can introduce measures. We have the regulation-making power in subsection (2)(b) so that we can look at circumstances in which we might need to consider exemptions and exceptions. When we drafted the Bill, we included a provision saying that there would need to be exceptions and exemptions and that we would, of course, come forward with them; we did not introduce the Bill saying that we could outlaw all realistic imitation weapons for everyone. Indeed, the Home Secretary made it clear on Second Reading that we would consider making exceptions and exemptions. It would be difficult to draft legislation otherwise.

The Committee should not forget that many people, including my hon. Friends the Members for Hackney, North and Stoke Newington and for Brent, South (Ms Butler), have been campaigning for a long time, but they have always been told that it is too difficult to draft a definition that does not unduly interfere with the rights of decent, law-abiding people. They were told that it was beyond lawyers to come up with that sort of definition, but we have done it. I do not say that it is a perfect definition, finely crafted, and honed within an inch of its life, and that it will cover every determination. I have no doubt that we will come forward with other words and propositions to tighten the provision and to make it as appropriate as we can. Indeed, we have already undertaken to reconsider ceremonial events.

There is a real problem out there. We have tried to address it by making the legislation as proportionate as we can, but I am determined that we should not allow an increase in the supply of realistic imitation weapons, which all too often are being used by young people in some of our communities. That campaign is supported by the Police Federation and the Association of Chief Police Officers, who say that they want to see it happen. That makes it a pretty reasonable thing to do.

I must tell the hon. Member for Huntingdon that although the clause is not perfect in every specific, tiny detail, it is not appropriate to say that we should do nothing. If we took that view as legislators, we would be defeated not only because of the difficulties of technical drafting but because of a lack of political will. We on the Government Benches have the political will—I hope that the Liberal Democrats will join us—to target the mischiefs that unfortunately cause far too many people to live in fear and to feel threatened; those people should have the right to go about their day-to-day business in peace, comfort and tranquillity.