Firearms

Mr. Burstow
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to prevent the (a) conversion to live fire of and (b) distribution of blank-firing firearms.

Mr. Alan Campbell
We are working with the police to tackle the supply of all firearms. An action day in November 2007 resulted in 124 arrests and the seizure of 10 real and over a thousand imitation firearms. We are also working with both the Serious Organised Crime Agency and HM Revenue and Customs, who have increased the priority and resources they focus on this issue, to prevent and detect illegal firearms entering the UK, including readily-convertible blank firers which are prohibited under the provisions of the Firearms Acts. Regulations are being prepared under section 39 of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 setting out the specifications to which blank firing imitation firearms must conform.