§ Mr. Noel-Bakerasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will lay a White Paper before Parliament giving particulars of the seizures of arms and munitions in Palestine during the last three years, and showing, where possible, the names of the manufacturers of these arms and the country of origin?
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§ Mr. Ormsby-GoreI do not think that the publication of a White Paper would serve any useful purpose. Statistics of firearms and ammunition confiscated are published each year in the Annual Report on Palestine. Following is a table showing the figures for the last three years. The arms consist very largely of old weapons used or distributed by both sides in the Great War; and I understand that it is impossible to state the countries of origin, since the arms are frequently rusty and the marks are usually illegible.
Following is a list of firearms and ammunition seized during 1935, 1936 and 1937:
— 1935. 1936. 1937. Rifles 178 328 1,246 Revolvers and pistols 264 319 1,456 Shotguns 103 81 133 Bombs and grenades 45 443 113 Rifle ammunition (Rounds). 4,171 13,903 15,623 Revolver and pistol ammunition (Rounds). 3,194 3,087 4,443