HC Deb 04 December 1996 vol 286 cc1156-7

Amendment proposed: No. 69, in page 5, line 24, after 'firearms', insert 'or ammunition'.—[Miss Widdecombe.]

Madam Deputy Speaker

With this we may take Government amendments Nos. 70 to 72 the following: Amendment. No. 12 in page 5, line 29, at end insert— '(3) The Secretary of State shall make a scheme for the disposal of firearms surrendered under this Act. (4) No scheme shall be made by the Secretary of State under this section before he has laid before Parliament a report on the general principles which he proposes should underlie the scheme and each House has come to a resolution in respect of that report.'.

Mr. Henderson

Amendment No. 12 was tabled because of concern that has been expressed by a number of organisations and individuals about what happens to the guns once they have been handed into police stations. We are talking about 160,000 guns. There are obviously a number of different ways in which they could be disposed of. They could be melted down or—presumably—sold. There would be considerable concern if those guns were sold and ended up in the hands of international gun dealers, who then disposed of them in areas of the world either where people were concerned about guns ending up or where there were bans on the export of guns from the United Kingdom for whatever reason.

The amendment requires the Government to stipulate what they intend to do with the guns that will be collected, and it suggests that the Government report to the House at a later stage on the way in which those guns will be disposed of.

Miss Widdecombe

I regret that I cannot support amendment No. 12. I assume that the intention behind it is to ensure that all weapons surrendered as a result of the Bill are destroyed, but there may be a case, as in previous schemes, to make available to certain publicly funded museums and other bodies a small percentage of the weapons involved. That will include only those firearms of a special scientific or national heritage value, and we are discussing the options with the police.

I assure the House that probably the vast majority—but not all—of the weapons surrendered will be destroyed by the police in accordance with force practice locally. I see no merit in parliamentary involvement in that operational exercise by the police, and ask the House to reject the amendment.

Amendment agreed to.

Amendments made: No. 70, in page 5, line 26, at end insert 'or section 25 below'.

No. 71, in page 5, line 28, after 'firearms', insert 'or ammunition'.

No. 72, in page 5, line 29, after 'firearms' insert 'or ammunition'.—[Miss Widdecombe.]

Forward to