§ 2. Mr. Wadeasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give instructions that an appropriate leaflet, calling attention to the provisions of the Protection of Birds Act, 1954, will be handed to any person applying for a gun licence under the provisions of the Gun Licences Act, 1870.
§ The Joint Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Dennis Vosper)My right hon. Friend has considered this suggestion, but he is not convinced that the placing of an extra duty of this kind on post offices would be justified.
§ Mr. WadeAs, unfortunately, there are frequent breaches of the Protection of Birds Act, sometimes due to ignorance, would the Minister reconsider this proposal that a small notice should be handed to those purchasing licences in order to draw their attention to the provisions of the Act? If he is not prepared to do that, has he any alternative to suggest?
§ Mr. VosperI think that the hon. Gentleman will be aware that post offices have an enormous number of extraneous duties to perform, and my right hon. Friend the Postmaster-General naturally resists imposing further duties upon them. I have examined this suggestion, but I think that for those reasons it is not practicable. I do not think that I can add to what I said in reply to the hon. Gentleman last week, that further copies of the poster are available to voluntary and statutory bodies who care to apply for them.