The Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 (Transitional Provisions and Savings) Regulations 1997

Made: 18th June 1997

Laid before Parliament: 19th June 1997

Coming into force: 1st July 1997

In exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 51 of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997[^f00001] I hereby make the following Regulations:

1

These Regulations may be cited as the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 (Transitional Provisions and Savings) Regulations 1997, and shall come into force on 1st July 1997.

2

• (1) Section 7(3) of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 shall—

• (a) until the date specified in paragraph (2) below, and

• (b) insofar as it relates to the designation of a place for the purposes of that subsection,

have effect for the purposes only of designating a place for the keeping of firearms to which that subsection relates.

• (2) The date referred to in paragraph (1) above is—

• (a) 1st July 1998, or

• (b) the date on which the Secretary of State notifies the person or persons responsible for the management of the place in question that he is satisfied that that place is suitable for the use of firearms to which that subsection relates,

whichever date is the sooner.

• (3) Paragraphs (1) and (2) above shall not, at any time, prevent—

• (a) the designation of a place for the purposes only of the keeping of firearms being expressed as a designation of that place for the purposes of that subsection, or

• (b) the attachment, to a firearm certificate, of a condition requiring a firearm to which the certificate relates to be kept and used only at a place designated for the purposes of that subsection by the Secretary of State,

but, for the purposes of the exemption contained in that subsection, the effect of any such designation or condition shall, until the date specified in paragraph (2) above, be limited in accordance with paragraph (1) above.

Signed

Jack Straw — One of Her Majesty’s Principal Secretaries of State — 18th June 1997

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations limit, for a certain period, the effect of one of the exemptions from the prohibition of large-calibre hand guns by the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997. The exemption in question is that in section 7(3) of the Act which enables holders of firearm certificates for certain handguns of historic interest to possess, purchase, acquire, sell or transfer such guns without the authority of the Secretary of State if their certificates are subject to a condition requiring such guns to be kept and used only at a place designated by the Secretary of State. The Regulations provide that, until a certain date, a place can only be designated for the keeping of such guns. The date in question is 1st July 1998 or the date on which the Secretary of State notifies the management of a designated place that he is satisfied that that place is suitable for the use of such guns, whichever date is the sooner. The Regulations make it clear that the exemption conferred by section 7(3) is not otherwise affected.

Section 7(3) of the 1997 Act is brought into force on 1st July 1997 by the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 (Commencement) (No. 2) Order 1997 (S.I. 1997/1535).

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 1997 c. 5.