§ 25. Mr. Farrasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what form of control he will introduce to regulate the purchase and use of shotguns after the enactment of the Local Government Bill and before the enactment of the proposed Criminal Justice Bill.
§ Mr. Roy JenkinsAs explained in the course of the debates on the Local Government Bill, the requirement to pay a fee for a gun licence does not carry with it any regulation of the purchase or use of guns. The introduction of any form of control of the purchase of shotguns would require legislation, which could not be undertaken in advance of the Criminal Justice Bill.
§ Mr. FarrWould not the right hon. Gentleman agree that that is a highly unsatisfactory state of affairs, especially in view of the Answer he gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Dorset, North (Sir Richard Glyn) in reply to Question No. 9?
§ Mr. JenkinsNo, I do not for a moment agree that it is unsatisfactory. I think the hon. Member misunderstood the position. The repeal of the provision in the Local Government Act does not affect control at all. At the earliest possible moment, in the Criminal Justice Bill, we shall introduce a measure of control of shotguns which there has not previously been.