§ Mr. Brocklebank-Fowlerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is in a position to announce the Government's conclusions on the comments received on the Green Paper on the Control of Firearms, and in particular on the proposal that self-loading rifles and pump action and repeater shotguns should be declared prohibited weapons.
§ Mr. R. CarrThe period for the submission of comments still has some days to run, and the Government will then wish to examine all the comments with great care. We have however already come to one firm conclusion, in the light of the representations we have received, that we should not in any event maintain the proposal in paragraph 35 (a) of the Green Paper that self-loading rifles, and pump action and repeater shotguns should be declared prohibited weapons. We think it right to announce this conclusion now, so as to remove the uncertainty now felt by those who own, manufacture and deal in such weapons.