Mr. MACLEANasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the component parts of guns, manufactured in Belgium and other countries abroad, are sent into this country to receive, the proof-house marks of London and Birmingham; that the parts are then assembled in gunsmiths' shops in this country and sold as British-made guns, although from 75 per cent. to 80 per cent. foreign-made; and that this is an abuse of the Charters granted to those proof houses; and what steps he will take to prevent any further fraudulent use being made of British proof houses, and to insist that such foreign-made component parts shall hear such distinctive mark as will denote the country of origin?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONI have been asked to reply. The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirm- 1027W ative, but as regards the third part the hon. Member appears to be under some misapprehension. In the interests of public safety all gun barrels imported into England are (with certain exceptions) required by law to be proved by the Proof Houses and to be marked with a mark denoting that they have been so proved. This mark cannot in any sense be regarded as an indication of British manufacture. As regards the second part of the question, the Courts only can decide in any given case whether goods containing a proportion of foreign material can properly be described as British-made, having regard to the provisions of the Merchandise Marks Act, 1887. As regards the last part, His Majesty's Government have no power under existing legislation to require that all foreign-made component parts of guns shall be marked with an indication of their country of manufacture, but the Merchandise Marks Bill proposes to give the Board of Trade certain powers with regard to the marking of imported goods.