§ 28. Mr. McAddenasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will introduce legislation to forbid the sale of lethal weapons on hire purchase.
§ Mr. N. MacphersonNo, Sir. My right hon. Friend considers that questions of public safety should be dealt with by means other than hire-purchase restrictions.
§ Mr. McAddenThat is all very well, but is my hon. Friend aware that a very large number of air guns, rifles, shotguns and pistols are being sold free from hire-purchase restrictions of any kind, and if it is important that the Government should damp down consumer demands in various other industries, the advisability of which is open to question, could not the Government damp down consumer demand here so that we do not have murder on the cheap as well?
§ Mr. MacphersonThe purpose of the hire-purchase controls is to curb the growth of credit outstanding as the result of these methods of trading. It would not be proper to use them for a totally different purpose.