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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/et?ac=3D004083591861199&rtmo=3DqxpdRdu9&atmo=3D=
rrrrrrrq&pg=3D/et/01/1/2/nhoey02.html

ISSUE 2048
Tuesday 2 January 2001
=20
 Hoey criticises ban on handguns
By David Sapsted


THE post-Dunblane ban on handgun possession has done nothing to stop =
criminals getting their hands on firearms, according to Kate Hoey, the =
sports minister.
=20
Kate Hoey: 'I have never accepted the link between legal holding of =
firearms and illegal weapons'=20
She accuses fellow Labour MPs of taking "a very unfair attitude" towards =
legitimate shooting activities and says it is an activity that young =
children should be encouraged to participate in. The minister, a =
farmer's daughter who enraged the anti-shooting lobby with her praise of =
British winners at the Olympics and Paralympics, also reiterates support =
of foxhunting in an interview in the January edition of Sporting Gun =
magazine.

Defending properly organised shooting activities, she says: "I have =
never accepted the link between legal holding of firearms and illegal =
weapons. I represent Vauxhall in London where there's a substantial =
number of illegal weapons on the black market, very easily available, =
and I'm not sure that the handgun ban has done anything to prevent =
illegal weapons getting into the wrong hands.

"Obviously, after Hungerford and Dunblane, there was a kind of attitude =
that somehow there must be something slightly wrong with anyone who was =
involved in shooting. I knew this to be untrue and I thought even some =
of my colleagues in the House of Commons took a very unfair attitude."

She says it is important that legitimate shooting be protected in any =
future legislation. "I will continue to do what I can to show people who =
are cynical and unsupportive of competitive shooting that it is a very =
good and disciplined sport that actually would be of benefit to many =
young people, in the right circumstances and with the right =
supervision," she adds.

On foxhunting, the minister states that she is opposed to a ban and will =
vote against one, but she says: "I'm afraid there will be a lot of =
people who have a complete and utter fixation on getting rid of =
hunting."


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<DIV><FONT size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/et?ac=3D004083591861199&amp;rtmo=3Dqxp=
dRdu9&amp;atmo=3Drrrrrrrq&amp;pg=3D/et/01/1/2/nhoey02.html">http://www.te=
legraph.co.uk/et?ac=3D004083591861199&amp;rtmo=3DqxpdRdu9&amp;atmo=3Drrrr=
rrrq&amp;pg=3D/et/01/1/2/nhoey02.html</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>ISSUE 2048</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Tuesday 2 January 2001</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>&nbsp;<BR> Hoey criticises ban on handguns<BR>By =
David=20
Sapsted</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>THE post-Dunblane ban on handgun possession has done =
nothing=20
to stop criminals getting their hands on firearms, according to Kate =
Hoey, the=20
sports minister.<BR>&nbsp;<BR>Kate Hoey: 'I have never accepted the link =
between=20
legal holding of firearms and illegal weapons' <BR>She accuses fellow =
Labour MPs=20
of taking "a very unfair attitude" towards legitimate shooting =
activities and=20
says it is an activity that young children should be encouraged to =
participate=20
in. The minister, a farmer's daughter who enraged the anti-shooting =
lobby with=20
her praise of British winners at the Olympics and Paralympics, also =
reiterates=20
support of foxhunting in an interview in the January edition of Sporting =
Gun=20
magazine.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Defending properly organised shooting activities, =
she says: "I=20
have never accepted the link between legal holding of firearms and =
illegal=20
weapons. I represent Vauxhall in London where there's a substantial =
number of=20
illegal weapons on the black market, very easily available, and I'm not =
sure=20
that the handgun ban has done anything to prevent illegal weapons =
getting into=20
the wrong hands.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>"Obviously, after Hungerford and Dunblane, there was =
a kind of=20
attitude that somehow there must be something slightly wrong with anyone =
who was=20
involved in shooting. I knew this to be untrue and I thought even some =
of my=20
colleagues in the House of Commons took a very unfair =
attitude."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>She says it is important that legitimate shooting be =
protected=20
in any future legislation. "I will continue to do what I can to show =
people who=20
are cynical and unsupportive of competitive shooting that it is a very =
good and=20
disciplined sport that actually would be of benefit to many young =
people, in the=20
right circumstances and with the right supervision," she =
adds.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>On foxhunting, the minister states that she is =
opposed to a=20
ban and will vote against one, but she says: "I'm afraid there will be a =
lot of=20
people who have a complete and utter fixation on getting rid of=20
hunting."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV></BODY></HTML>

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