Commonwealth Games Pistol Shooting Competition

EDM number 429 in 2001-02, proposed by Frank Cook on 15/11/2001.

That this House commends most highly the organising agencies involved in the manifestly complex preparation for the staging of the XVII Commonwealth Games in Manchester; thanks most warmly Frances Done for her briefing given to honourable Members; and offers every good wish for continuing success in a very demanding task; recalls that at the last Commonwealth Games held three years ago in Kuala Lumpur, Micky Gault won four gold medals for England but was never celebrated in proper fashion in the media, presumably because his sport was that of pistol shooting; takes account of the fact the Mr Gault achieved this notable feat despite having to travel abroad to train because of Firearms Amendment legislation; notes that pistol shooters of England, Scotland and Wales are still inhibited by these legislative restrictions whereas competitors in the same disciplines living in Northern Ireland are not;further notes that in almost every other sport, home competitors will have the benefit of home advantage in terms of being able to train on British territory; and therefore calls upon the Home Secretary to grant a dispensation for British competitors in the Commonwealth Games to enable them to undertake properly supervised training sessions at the Bisley ranges until the end of the Games, thus making it more likely for the pistol shooting representatives from Wales, Scotland and England to bring true credit to the United Kingdom as they have done so frequently in the past.

This motion has been signed by a total of 67 MPs.