Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the risks to public safety and police welfare of the public availability of imitation firearms that are indistinguishable from genuine firearms without close inspection; and if she will introduce legislative proposals to require producers of such imitations to make them clearly visually distinct.

Existing legislation ensures that there are controls in place relating to realistic imitation firearms. The Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 specifies that the size, shape and principal colour are to be taken into account in determining whether an imitation firearm is to be considered a realistic imitation firearm. There are a number of legitimate activities in relation to the possession of realistic imitation firearms, including for the purposes of historical re-enactment and airsoft skirmishing.

It is an offence under section 16A of the Firearms Act 1968 to possess an imitation firearm with the intent to cause someone to fear that unlawful violence will be used against them or another person.