Firearms Licensing: Home Office Circulars The Earl of Haddington asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will: (a) list all Home Office circulars issued since 1968 concerning the administration of the current Firearms Acts to date, with an explanation why some of the circulars that are issued on different topics and dates in the same year are given the same reference number; and(b) list all such circulars that are issued with the same reference number, giving dates. [HL2184] Lord Williams of Mostyn Home Office circulars to the police, including those on firearms matters, are numbered for reference sequentially within each year of issue. A list of all such circulars to chief officers of police on firearms licensing matters from 1968 to the present is set out below: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |1968|12/68 |Criminal Justice Act 1967 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | |21/68 |Amnesty and Appeal for Surrender | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | |59/68 |Part V of the Criminal Justice Act 1967 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | |155/68|Firearms Act 1968 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | |208/68|The Transfer of Functions (Prohibited Weapons) Order 1968| ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | |258/68|The Firearms (Variation of Fees) Order 1968 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |1969|32/69 |The Firearms (Dangerous Air Weapons) Rules 1969 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | |181/69|The Firearms Rules 1969 | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |255/69|Firearms Act 1968 Memorandum of Guidance (Revised) | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1970 |288/69|The Firearms (Variation of Fees) Order 1970 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1971–1974| |No circulars issued on firearms licensing | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1975 |81/75 |The Firearms (Removal to Northern Ireland) Order 1975 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |104/75|The Firearms (Variation of Fees) Order 1975 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |105/75|The Rehabilitation of Offenders (Exceptions) Order 1975: | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | |Application under the Firearms Act 1968 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1976 |148/75|The Firearms (Variation of Fees) Order 1976 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |202/76|The Firearms (Variation of Fees) (No. 2) Order 1976 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1977 |84/77 |The Firearms (Removal to Northern Ireland) Order 1975 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1978 |40/78 |The Firearms (Variation of Fees) Order 1978 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1979 |25/79 |The Firearms (Variation of Fees) Order 1979 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |67/79 |Firearms Fees | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1980 |54/80 |The Firearms (Variation of Fees) Order 1980 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1981 | |No circulars on firearms licensing issued | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1982 |11/82 |Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |86/82 |Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1983 |83/83 |I. Firearms (Certificates Granted in Great Britain and Air Weapons lawfully held in Great Britain) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1981| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | |II. Firearms (Removal to Northern Ireland) Order 1975 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |91/83 |Firearms Act 1982 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |92/83 |Firearms Act 1982 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1984 |18/84 |Electric Shock Batons and Similar Devices | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |47/84 |Working Party to Review the Administration of the Firearms Act 1968 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1985 |29/85 |Working Party to Review the Administration of the Firearms Act 1968: | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | |I. Territorial Condition | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | |II. Provision of Zeroing Rifles | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1986 |59/86 |The Firearms (Variation of Fees) Order 1986 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1987 |46/87 |I. The Crossbows Act 1987 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | |II. Territorial Conditions on Firearm Certificates | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1988 |31/88 |Firearms Amnesty: Appeal for Surrender of Guns | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1989 |2/189 |The Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |45/89 |The Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |75/89 |The Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988: Visitors Permit Scheme: Removal of Firearms to Northern Ireland | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1990 |25/90 |Approval of Rifle and Pistol Clubs under Section 15 of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988: New Criteria | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |40/90 |The Firearms (Variation of Fees) Order 1990 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1991 |6/91 |The Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988: Removal of Firearms to Northern Ireland | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |94/91 |Administration of the Firearms Licensing System | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1992 |95/92 |The Firearms Acts (Amendment) Regulations 1992 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1993 |27/93 |The Firearms (Dangerous Air Weapons) (Amendment) Regulations Act 1993 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1994 |37/94 |The Firearms (Amendment) Regulations 1994 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |64/94 |The Firearms (Variation of Fees) Order 1994 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | |The Firearms (Period of Certificates) Order 1994 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | |The Firearms (Amendment) Rules 1994 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1995–1996| |No circulars on firearms licensing issued | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1997 |32/97 |The Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |68/97 |The Firearms (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1997 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1998 | |No circulars on firearms licensing issued to date. | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Home Office records from 1968 onwards do not record any circular on firearms matters having the same number as any other circular for that year. Copies of Home Office circulars to the police are routinely placed in the Library.