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| Blair to hold summit on gun crime | Blair to hold summit on gun crime |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Tony Blair is due to host a gun crime summit at Downing Street, following a recent spate of fatal shootings. | Tony Blair is due to host a gun crime summit at Downing Street, following a recent spate of fatal shootings. |
| The prime minister and Home Secretary John Reid are expected to meet police, council leaders and community workers. | The prime minister and Home Secretary John Reid are expected to meet police, council leaders and community workers. |
| Conservative leader David Cameron, who is visiting a community project in Manchester, questioned if the summit would "get to grips with the issue". | Conservative leader David Cameron, who is visiting a community project in Manchester, questioned if the summit would "get to grips with the issue". |
| Five people have been shot dead in London during the last month - three of them teenagers. | Five people have been shot dead in London during the last month - three of them teenagers. |
| The government is planning to push through new laws making it an offence for an adult to pass a weapon to a younger sibling or friend. | |
| The Violent Crime Reduction Act, already approved by Parliament, was due to come into effect at the end of the year - but ministers want it to be implemented in April. | |
| Passing a weapon on will now draw the same punishment as possession of a weapon. | |
| 'Respecting authority' | 'Respecting authority' |
| Mr Blair has suggested the minimum age at which someone faces a mandatory five-year jail sentence for possessing a gun could be reduced from 21 to 17. | Mr Blair has suggested the minimum age at which someone faces a mandatory five-year jail sentence for possessing a gun could be reduced from 21 to 17. |
| And the prime minister has told the BBC he is considering criminalising gang membership. | |
| GUN CRIME The number of people injured by firearms in England and Wales has more than doubled since 1998In 2005/2006, the number of gun murders fell by more than a third from 78 to 50There were 11,084 recorded firearms crimes in 2005/2006 - up 0.12% on previous yearLondon, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands account for 54% of recorded incidents Source: Home Office | GUN CRIME The number of people injured by firearms in England and Wales has more than doubled since 1998In 2005/2006, the number of gun murders fell by more than a third from 78 to 50There were 11,084 recorded firearms crimes in 2005/2006 - up 0.12% on previous yearLondon, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands account for 54% of recorded incidents Source: Home Office |
| Mr Cameron said he hoped the summit was real, and not just a photograph opportunity. | Mr Cameron said he hoped the summit was real, and not just a photograph opportunity. |
| He suggested a recent cancer summit held at Downing Street had yielded little. | He suggested a recent cancer summit held at Downing Street had yielded little. |
| "Tony Blair welcomed everyone, shook their hands, had his photograph taken. Half an hour later he had gone. | "Tony Blair welcomed everyone, shook their hands, had his photograph taken. Half an hour later he had gone. |
| "Now, let's hope [the gun crime summit] is a proper summit. That they do get to grips with the issues." | "Now, let's hope [the gun crime summit] is a proper summit. That they do get to grips with the issues." |
| Mr Cameron has argued that a lack of role models was fuelling gang culture and called for fathers to be compelled to take a greater role in bringing up their children. | Mr Cameron has argued that a lack of role models was fuelling gang culture and called for fathers to be compelled to take a greater role in bringing up their children. |
| He supports the idea of tax breaks to help families stay together and promoting a "culture of responsibility and respecting authority". | He supports the idea of tax breaks to help families stay together and promoting a "culture of responsibility and respecting authority". |
| 'No quick fixes' | 'No quick fixes' |
| But Mr Reid, who visited south London on Wednesday, ridiculed Mr Cameron's stance on crime, saying the problem would not be solved by "hugs and kisses". | But Mr Reid, who visited south London on Wednesday, ridiculed Mr Cameron's stance on crime, saying the problem would not be solved by "hugs and kisses". |
| "We'll need understanding and public protection measures and if that means more police and punishment in the meantime then it has to be part of the solution." | "We'll need understanding and public protection measures and if that means more police and punishment in the meantime then it has to be part of the solution." |
| Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell said there were "no quick fixes" to the problem. | Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell said there were "no quick fixes" to the problem. |
| Criminal justice charity Nacro said the summit was a "unique opportunity" to listen to the "consistent messages" coming from front-line community workers. | Criminal justice charity Nacro said the summit was a "unique opportunity" to listen to the "consistent messages" coming from front-line community workers. |
| Nacro boss Paul Cavadino said "simplistic measures" like five-year minimum jail terms would not help to reduce gun crime - instead, officials should concentrate on educating young people. | Nacro boss Paul Cavadino said "simplistic measures" like five-year minimum jail terms would not help to reduce gun crime - instead, officials should concentrate on educating young people. |
| "We need to combat the idea that you are safer carrying a firearm by putting across the strong message that if you live by the gun, you are more likely to die by the gun." | "We need to combat the idea that you are safer carrying a firearm by putting across the strong message that if you live by the gun, you are more likely to die by the gun." |
| There have been five fatal shootings in London in the past month, three of which were of teenagers in the south of the city - two of them killed in their own homes. | There have been five fatal shootings in London in the past month, three of which were of teenagers in the south of the city - two of them killed in their own homes. |
| A 28-year-old man was shot dead in Hackney, east London. | A 28-year-old man was shot dead in Hackney, east London. |
| Christian leaders are organising a "prayer walk" through the two London boroughs blighted by recent killings - Southwark and Lambeth. | Christian leaders are organising a "prayer walk" through the two London boroughs blighted by recent killings - Southwark and Lambeth. |
| They say the walk, to take place at dusk on Thursday, will demonstrate the "total abhorrence of the vast majority of black Londoners to gun violence". | They say the walk, to take place at dusk on Thursday, will demonstrate the "total abhorrence of the vast majority of black Londoners to gun violence". |
| Claudia Webbe, an adviser to the police's Operation Trident unit which deals with crime in London's black community, said she wanted to see more youth workers on the streets. | Claudia Webbe, an adviser to the police's Operation Trident unit which deals with crime in London's black community, said she wanted to see more youth workers on the streets. |
| "It's got to be issue-based work, it's got to be on the streets, it's got to be after hours, it's got to be at weekends," she said. | "It's got to be issue-based work, it's got to be on the streets, it's got to be after hours, it's got to be at weekends," she said. |