Government response to the Home Affairs Committee on firearms control
The response was published in September 2011. The general impression is that the Government isn't planning on bringing in new legislation at present. The main part of the report which has direct applicability to re-enactment is below, however the full report is well worth reading. You can access a copy of it here (external link).
17. Restricted intelligence
from the National Ballistics Intelligence Service indicates
that a significant number of pre-1995 standard weapons have
been reactivated into live weapons within the UK, and
subsequently used in very serious crimes. We therefore
recommend that the Government introduces a requirement for
firearms that were deactivated before 1995 to be modified to
the 1995 standard, in order to make it harder for criminals
to gain access to readily-reactivated weapons. We also
recommend that deactivated guns are only sold through
Registered Firearms Dealers.
(Paragraph 114)
Historically there has been a paucity of reliable
information concerning the use of deactivated and
reactivated firearms in crime and there has been some
confusion with other types of converted weapon. Official
statistics show few offences involving deactivated firearms
but the police believe the true picture is more worrying.
This is because in many firearms offences no shot is fired
and the gun is not recovered which makes it difficult to
identify the weapon used. The Government notes that the
Committee received restricted intelligence from NABIS
regarding the number of reactivated weapons used in very
serious crime. The Government will discuss the nature of
this intelligence with ACPO with a view to determining
whether it would be proportionate to require all old
deactivated weapons to be brought up to the current tougher
standards or whether the requirement might be restricted to
particular types of weapon preferred by criminals. The
feasibility of applying current standards to weapons which
have already been subject to deactivation procedures will
also need to be explored further. The Government believes
that the most important aspect of controlling deactivated
firearms is to ensure that they cannot be reactivated and it
is generally accepted that the current standards are
effective in this regard. There remains the danger that
criminals will seek to smuggle weapons into the UK from
other countries where the standards are less rigorous and
the Government is currently engaged in trying to secure a
greater harmonisation of standards through the requirements
of the European Weapons Directive. There is no requirement
for realistic imitation firearms to be sold through
registered firearms dealers. However, in looking at the
standards to be applied to deactivated weapons the
Government will also consider whether there are any benefits
from requiring them to be sold through registered firearms
dealers.
