Cumbrian shootings cast shadow over PMQs
As last week's Prime Ministers' Questions began, the full horror of the Cumbrian shootings was only just emerging.
This week .
As in West Cumbria today, a minute's silence was held at the beginning to remember the victims, and David Cameron kicked off by offering condolences to the families of those killed by Derrick Bird.
And the Leader of the Opposition, Harriet Harman, also began by asking the PM whether there would be a review of the gun laws.
The answer from the PM was an interesting one.
He confirmed gun laws would be examined, but he also told the House that Cumbria's Chief Constable had written to the Association of Chief Police Officers asking for a review by police experts of gun licensing and the tactics used in dealing with firearms incidents.
The Workington MP Tony Cunningham then asked whether the PM could offer the people of Cumbria his full support in recovering from last Wednesday's events.
David Cameron paid tribute to what he called a "tough" but "compassionate" community, that can sometimes feel cut off.
He also talked about the work of the West Cumberland Hospital, and said its efforts demonstrated small, local general hospitals have an important role. "Big is not always beautiful," was his conclusion.
The Barrow MP John Woodcock then had the final question, asking if a review would consider whether you could still justify allowing guns used for sport to be kept at home.
The Prime Minister promised again to look at every aspect of the gun law, but said there was little evidence generally that weapons kept for sport were being used to commit crimes.
He then went off to meet Tony Cunningham and the Copeland MP Jamie Reed to discuss the Government's response to the shootings.
After that meeting , although we'll have to see precisely what that means.
There was some good news for the North East in PMQs with .
But he couldn't give the Houghton and Sunderland South MP Bridget Phillipson - called for the second week in a row - the same assurance on a plan .
I'm Richard Moss, the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s Political Editor for the North East and Cumbria. Welcome to my irreverent - but hopefully insightful - northern take on reporting politics for Look North and the Politics Show.
Comments
or to comment.