§ Order of the Day read for the consideration of Commons Amendment.
§ THE EARL OF LUCANMy Lords, I beg to move that the Commons Amendment be now considered.
§ Moved, That the Commons Amendment be now considered.—(The Earl of Lucan.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.
§ COMMONS AMENDMENT.
§ Clause 5, page 3, line 5, at end insert ("and includes, except for the purpose of the definition of the expression imitation firearm,' a prohibited weapon as defined by Section six of the Firearms Act, 1920").
352§ THE EARL OF LUCANMy Lords, I beg to move that this House doth agree with the Commons in the said Amendment. This Amendment was introduced in the Commons in order to make the Bill thoroughly watertight. Under the Firearms Act of 1920 all weapons which were capable of discharging noxious liquids or gas were included, but in the present Bill the expression "firearm" only applied to weapons that could be described as firearms. The Home Office, in order to make this Bill include every class of weapon, have extended the definition according to the words of the Amendment, to include
except for the purpose of the definition of the expression 'imitation firearm' a prohibited weapon as defined by Section six of the Firearms Act, 1920.The reason for this, I understand, is that besides guns and pistols there are perfectly harmless looking articles—I should be glad to give any of your Lordships a demonstration afterwards if you are curious—which are dangerous. There is one, for instance, which looks like a fountain pen or a pencil at its so-called business end and which acts as a pencil, but at the other end it can be loaded with gas or even with a bullet. It is in order to include weapons of this sort that this Amendment was introduced in another place. I beg to move that we agree with the Commons on this Amendment.
§ Moved, That this House doth agree with the Commons in the said Amendment.—(The Earl of Lucan.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.