(1)Any expenses incurred by the Secretary of State which are attributable to the provisions of this Act, and any sums required by him for making payments under this Act, shall be paid out of money provided by Parliament.
(2)Any fees received by the Secretary of State under section 21(6) above shall be paid into the Consolidated Fund.
(1)In this Act—
“licence”, “licensed pistol club” and “licensed premises” have the meanings given by section 19 above;
“small-calibre pistol” means—
a pistol chambered for .22 or smaller rim-fire cartridges; or
an air pistol to which section 1 of the 1968 Act applies and which is designed to fire .22 or smaller diameter ammunition;
“the 1968 Act” means the [1968 c. 27.] Firearms Act 1968;
“the 1988 Act” means the [1988 c. 45.] Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988.
(2)Any expression used in this Act which is also used in the 1968 Act or the 1988 Act has the same meaning as in that Act.
(3)Any reference in the 1968 Act to a person who is by virtue of that Act entitled to possess, purchase or acquire any weapon or ammunition without holding a certificate shall include a reference to a person who is so entitled by virtue of any provision of this Act.
(4)Sections 46, 51(4) and 52 of the 1968 Act (powers of search, time-limit for prosecutions and forfeiture and cancellation orders on conviction) shall apply also to offences under this Act.
(5)Sections 53 to 56 and section 58 of the 1968 Act (rules, Crown application, service of notices and savings) shall have effect as if this Act were contained in that Act.
(6)The provisions of this Act shall be treated as contained in the 1968 Act for the purposes of the [1982 c. 31.] Firearms Act 1982 (imitation firearms readily convertible into firearms to which section 1 of the 1968 Act applies).
(1)The Secretary of State may by regulations make such transitional and consequential provisions and such savings as he considers necessary or expedient in preparation for, in connection with, or in consequence of—
(a)the coming into force of any provision of this Act; or
(b)the operation of any enactment repealed or amended by a provision of this Act during any period when the repeal or amendment is not wholly in force.
(2)Regulations under this section may make modifications of any enactment contained in this or in any other Act.
(3)The power to make regulations under subsection (2) above shall be exercisable by statutory instrument which shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
(1)Schedule 2 (minor and consequential amendments) shall have effect.
(2)The enactments mentioned in Schedule 3 (which include spent enactments) are repealed to the extent specified in the third column of that Schedule.
(1)This Act may be cited as the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997.
(2)This Act and the Firearms Acts 1968 to 1992 may be cited together as the Firearms Acts 1968 to 1997.
(3)This Act shall come into force on such day as the Secretary of State may by order made by statutory instrument appoint; and different days may be appointed for different purposes and different areas.
(4)An order under subsection (3) above may contain such transitional provision and savings (whether or not involving the modification of any statutory provision) as appear to the Secretary of State to be necessary or expedient in connection with any provisions brought into force.
(5)This Act does not extend to Northern Ireland.