§ Mr. Gwilym Robertsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what consideration he has given to the criminal and security risks which arise from the general availability of magazines such as Incendiaries, Booby-traps and Unconventional Warfare Devices and Techniques, which describe how to construct home-made napalm bombs and home-made lethal booby-traps; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if he will seek to amend the law so as to prohibit the sale and dissemination of publications stimulating the manufacture of home-made lethal weapons and devices; and if he will make a statement;
(3) what study he has made of a current press catalogue, a copy of which has been supplied to him by the hon. Member for Cannock, offering books such as How to Kill, How Terrorists Kill, Incendiaries and Improvised Munitions; if he will seek to amend the law so as to ban the publication and dissemination of such publications; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BrittanDistribution of material which incites crimes is a criminal offence. We will study the catalogue to which the hon. Member refers, but we would be reluctant to consider taking powers to censor publications unless we were persuaded that this would make an effective practical contribution to the prevention of terrorism.