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European Proposals Will "Mutilate Britain's Historic Guns"

EC Proposals Will "Lead To Mutilation Of Britain's Historic Guns"

European measures to tighten gun control laws will result in the "near-destruction" of thousands of historic guns at two British museums, MPs have heard.

The Royal Armouries Museum and the National Army Museum have warned the proposals from Brussels will cause "significant damage" to their collections, according to Tory MP David Nuttall.

Commons Leader Chris Grayling warned against "unintended consequences" being caused by work to remove dangerous firearms from Europe, adding the policy should not be "at the expense of historic museums".

The European Commission is seeking to strengthen existing laws following the Paris terror attacks in November. Speaking in the Commons, Bury North MP Mr Nuttall told Mr Grayling:

"The director generals of both the Royal Armouries Museum and the National Army Museum have warned significant damage will be done to their collections of firearms, leading to the near-destruction of thousands of historic guns, if the proposed changes to the EU firearms directive go ahead."

"So can we have a statement from the government on what they are doing to stop this happening please."

Mr Grayling replied: "It's important whether it's in this place or in Brussels that new legislation is thought through carefully and that unintended consequences are planned for in advance and dealt with and addressed.

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"You have identified [this] in what is absolutely a policy that one can understand because of course we want to see a removal from Europe of dangerous firearms, but it should not actually be at the expense of historic museums and I'm sure the Foreign Secretary will take a careful note of what you say."

Dr Edward Impey, Director General and Master of the Royal Armouries, was quoted by the Telegraph as saying:

“The Royal Armouries cares for the national collection of Arms and Armour, comprising over 70,000 items from prehistory to today and from across the globe. These are all displayed or stored with the highest regard to security and long-term conservation."

"The proposed changes threaten the Royal Armouries’ ability to discharge its mission in accordance with the National Heritage Act 1983, as it would lead to the mutilation or near-destruction of thousands of historic guns and other items by deactivation."

He added that it "would be a destructive process, usually leading to the loss of those moving parts of the item which are of the greatest interest and significance to the understanding of history and technological change through the study of objects, one of the main missions of museums."