To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to provide for a licensing scheme to enable persons aged 17 years or more to purchase and use crossbows under safe conditions to prevent so far as reasonably practicable injury to persons and animals; and if he will make a statement.

The Government have no plans to do so. There is no firm evidence to suggest that the level of crossbow misuse is widespread and increasing, or that existing legislation is not adequate to deal with the misuse which does take place. A system of licensing crossbows would be expensive to administer and would divert police resources away from other operational tasks. The Government are not persuaded, therefore, that licensing crossbows—which are used by many responsible people for legitimate sporting and recreational purposes—could be justified.