Extract from
Committee stage (Lords) (day 3) of the Offensive Weapons
Bill
The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Earl Howe)
(Con):...In the light of representations made by
representative firearms bodies and others during the passage of the
Bill, the Government sought advice from the National Crime Agency on
whether heightened security standards governing the safe storage of
these rifles would be sufficient to reduce the concerns expressed
to us. In the light of the advice received, we took the view that
we should look again at options for enhancing the security
requirements associated with these particular rifles, rather than
push for their prohibition under the firearms legislation at the
present time. That is why the provisions to prohibit high muzzle
energy rifles were removed from the Bill on Report in the
Commons.
It is the Government’s view that we should not proceed with
prohibition without considering further the views of the police,
relevant shooting organisations and members of the public. As was
announced in the Commons, it is the Government’s intention to
launch a full public consultation on this and on the firearms
safety issues that have arisen during the Bill’s progress. That
will provide an opportunity fully to consider the views of all
those involved or with an interest and to make a better assessment
of whether enhanced security, as proposed by my noble friends,
would be sufficient to address the risks set out by the police and
the NCA...
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Extract from
Westminster Hall debate on Independent Inquiry into Child
Sexual Exploitation: Telford
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing,
Communities and Local Government (Rishi Sunak):...I will
start by setting out what the Government are doing, and have been
doing, on this issue. I am pleased to say that the Government’s
ambitious “Tackling child sexual exploitation” work has created a
step change in the national response to sexual exploitation and
violence against children and young people. The Home Office has
established a new investigative team in the National Crime
Agency. We have invested in new frontline response for victims
and services, for example by recruiting an extra 100 specialist
rape and child sexual abuse prosecutors...
To read the whole debate, CLICK
HERE
