Purchase or acquisition of firearms in other member States

9.  After section 18 of the 1988 Act there shall be inserted the following section—

“Purchase or acquisition of firearms in other member States.

18A.   emrule;

(1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3) below, where—

(a) a person who resides in Great Britain purchases or acquires a firearm in another member State; and

(b) that firearm is a firearm which falls within category C for the purposes of Annex I to the European weapons directive,

he shall, within fourteen days of the transaction, send notice of the transaction to the chief officer of police for the area where he resides.

(2) A person shall not be required to give notice under subsection (1) above of a transaction under which he acquires a firearm on terms which—

(a) restrict his possession of the firearm to the whole or a part of the period of a visit to the member State where the transaction takes place; and

(b) preclude the removal of the firearm from that member State.

(3) A person shall not be required to give notice under subsection (1) above of a transaction under which he purchases or acquires a firearm if—

(a) he is for the time being the holder of a certificate under the principal Act relating to that firearm and containing, in relation to that firearm, a condition that he may have the firearm in his possession only for the purpose of its being kept or exhibited as part of a collection; or

(b) he would, if in Great Britain, be authorised by virtue of a licence under the Schedule to this Act to have that firearm in his possession.

(4) A notice under subsection (1) above shall contain a description of the firearm (giving the identification number if any) and state the nature of the transaction and the name and address in Great Britain of the person giving the notice.

(5) A notice under subsection (1) above which is sent from a place in Great Britain shall be sent by registered post or by the recorded delivery service and, in any other case, shall be sent in such manner as most closely corresponds to the use of registered post or the recorded delivery service.

(6) It is an offence for a person to fail to comply with this section; and that offence shall be punishable on summary conviction with imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale or both.”