EmailI don't know how many Christmas presents the home secretary will give next week. But in the season of goodwill I have a suggestion for David Blunkett for one gift which would be a huge boost to a sport in which this country excels.
The sport is pistol shooting. The present is to give Britain's competitors at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester next summer the opportunity to compete on a level playing field with their international rivals. At the moment they are severely disadvantaged.
Since the Firearms Bill of l997 became law not one of the English, Scottish or Welsh elite pistol shooters has been allowed to fire a shot in this country. They have had, at their own expense, to remove their weapons abroad in order to continue training at shooting centres in Switzerland.
As the handgun ban does not apply to Northern Ireland their shooters have continued to practise at home. Unlike the Olympics, at the Commonwealth Games the UK competes as home countries rather than as one team. There will be 19 shooting disciplines at the Manchester games and six involve pistols.
Between the four countries' teams there will be up to 20 pistol shooters, all highly experienced medal prospects. Indeed, shooting is one of our most successful sports. At the last games in Kuala Lumpur, Michael Gault from Norfolk won four gold medals in pistol shooting for England. Despite being famous throughout the world in his sport and a great ambassador he doesn't get invitations to the BBC Sports Personality events - nor has he been rewarded with an honour.
Shooting is particularly popular with disabled sportsmen and women and at the Sydney Paralympics Isobel Newstead won a gold medal. Unlike able-bodied shooters who were able to change their discipline when the ban became law, those with disabilities, particularly wheelchair users, could not use the larger firearm alternatives such as rifles or shotguns.
When the legislation was being debated in parliament many of us argued for exemptions to allow disabled shooters and our world-class competitors to continue to train here. The home office minister said at the time that the effect of the ban on the sport and for the disabled was regrettable but necessary in the interests of public safety. To me it seemed that the risk from disciplined adults continuing to shoot in safe surroundings at specialist centres was far less for my constituents than that from criminals regularly using illegal guns on the streets of my constituency.
But the ban went ahead. The British Alpine Rifles was launched in 1997 primarily to provide our pistol shooters with a means to continue shooting. From its inception the BAR has sought to offer all decent sportsmen and women a chance to pursue their shooting interests. The members are carefully selected with emphasis on mature individuals of whatever age. Help is given to those with disabilities and bursaries are offered to subsidise the competition entries of members who would not be able to afford to travel.
Meanwhile in England the National Centre for Shooting at Bisley - the venue for all the shooting events in the Commonwealth Games - has received £6m of lottery money to upgrade. The new facilities are superb with the clay target range used regularly by the Olympic gold medallist Richard Faulds.
The pistol shooters from all over the world that will be welcomed by the Queen next July will be delighted with their surroundings. Surely it is not too much to ask that teams from the home nations be allowed to bring back their pistols after Christmas, store them safely in the secure areas at Bisley under the scrutiny of the Surrey Constabulary and be licensed to train there?
Isn't it just a touch shameful that most western democracies have more faith in their own citizens to take part safely in one of the oldest Olympic sports than we do?
It is bizarre that we seem content to leave countless weapons in the hands of terrorists and criminals while banishing to foreign fields those who excel in this extremely disciplined sport.
So please home secretary, go and visit Bisley, meet the teams and give them a Christmas present that will do much for their morale and much more for the success of the entire British effort in a successful Commonwealth Games. You really would be bringing the law into line with common sense.
;