§ BARONESS WOOTTON OF ABINGERMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the review of regulations for the control of all kinds of firearms mentioned in reply to a Question by the Earl of Cromartie on December 15 1970, is now complete; and if so, what are its findings and when it is proposed to publish them.
THE MINISTER OF STATE, HOME OFFICE (VISCOUNT COLVILLE OF CULROSS)My Lords, I understand that the Working Party which is undertaking this review had its final meeting yesterday and that its report will be submitted to my right honourable friends the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Scotland very shortly. The question of publication of the report will be considered by my right honourable friends when they have received and considered it.
§ BARONESS WOOTTON OF ABINGERMy Lords, the whole House will welcome that very encouraging reply. May we hope that action will follow very quickly, in view of the fact that until the regulations are revised so far as shotguns are concerned it will still be possible on one certificate for a person to have any number of guns and to hang them on the front door for anybody to help themselves to. May we therefore hope to hear quite soon that Her Majesty's Government have come to a decision and that action will be taken both to revise the regulations and to enforce them more effectively?
VISCOUNT COLVILLE OF CULROSSMy Lords, the whole House will remember the interest and the suggestions the noble Baroness has put forward. As she knows, these were all handed over to Sir John McKay who was in charge of this inquiry, and I am certain he would have incorporated them in his report. The trouble is that none of us at the moment knows what is in the report. Although I suppose it is printed, we must have time to consider it before I can give an assurance further than I have done at the moment. The noble Baroness's sense of urgency will be passed on to my right honourable friends.