Citation and Commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Explosives (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008 and shall come into operation on 1st April 2009.

Amendment to the Explosives Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1970

2.  Regulation 10 (prohibition on night storage of explosives) of the Explosives Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1970(2) is revoked.

Amendments to the Explosives (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1976

3.—(1) The Explosives (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1976(3) are amended as follows.

(2) Regulation 7(c) (persons to whom licence may be granted) is revoked.

(3) Regulation 8(1)(c) (revocation of licence) is revoked.

Amendment to the Explosives Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1977

4.  In paragraph (10)(a) of Form 6 (consent of officer of police to purchase or acquire explosives for blasting purposes) in Schedule 1 (forms to be substituted in Schedule to Explosives Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1970) to the Explosives Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1977(4), omit “granted an exemption” to the end.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

1.  These Regulations make minor amendments to 3 sets of Explosives Regulations.

2.  Regulation 2 removes the prohibition on the storage of explosives overnight except under an exemption granted by the Secretary of State in regulation 10 of the Explosives Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1970.

3.  Regulation 3 removes the provision in the Explosives (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1976 that the District Commander must be satisfied that an applicant for a shot firer’s licence is a fit and responsible person before the Secretary of State will grant the licence.

4.  Regulation 4 makes a minor amendment to the wording in paragraph (10)(a) of Form 6 in Schedule 1 to the Explosives Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1977.

5.  A regulatory impact assessment of the effect that this instrument will have on the costs to business is available from Firearms and Explosives Branch, Room A4.24, Castle Buildings, Stormont Estate, Belfast, BT4 3SG. The Assessment is also annexed to the Explanatory Memorandum which is available alongside the instrument on the OPSI website (www.opsi.gov.uk).