Stephen Crabb a Welsh Conservative MP had given his support to the calls for a relaxation of the pistol laws to allow .22 pistols back into competition on the mainland of the UK.

The member for Preseli Pembrokeshire was invited to his local long established Haverfordwest Target Shooting Club where he learned more about the sport of target shooting.

Not only is the MP’s support welcome but we should also note the example of the 70 members of the Haverfordwest Target Shooting Club in inviting people in to take a look and gain an understanding of target shooting.

From the Consertive website - Tuesday September 26, 2006
 
http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=wales.news.story.page&obj_id=132313

MP calls for target shooting law change to boost UK Olympic hopes 

Welsh Conservative MP Stephen Crabb has lent his support to growing calls for a relaxation of shooting laws to enable British sportsmen and women to compete effectively at the 2012 London Olympics.

As the law currently stands, British competitors in certain pistol shooting events are not able to practice within the UK leading to many participants having to travel to abroad to do so. Come the 2012 Olympics, special exceptions will be made to allow competition to take place, even though it is against the current law of the land.

Preseli Pembrokeshire MP Stephen has signed a Commons' Early Day Motion which calls on the Home Secretary to exempt the sport of Olympic pistol shooting from the handgun ban.

Haverfordwest Target Shooting Club, which is situated close to Withybush Aerodrome, is a long established club with over 70 members.

Members of the club recently welcomed Stephen, Assembly election candidate Paul Davies and six other members of the local Conservative Party, to learn more about their sport.

Stephen Crabb said: "The current law is absurd. Members of this club are responsible and law-abiding people who, due to the restrictions introduced by this Government, have had to stop practicing certain shooting events in the last few years. Yet, at the same time, gun crime has exploded in many parts of the country."

"Banning shooting sports does nothing to combat gun crime. Legally-held sports pistols do not get used for criminal activity.

"In particular, .22 sports pistols should be reclassified to allow genuine sportsmen and women to complete legally in their home country."