Violent Crime Reduction Bill

Like my noble friend, I was grateful to the Government for accepting the existence of a defect in this clause. My honourable and right honourable friends in another place voted to delete the clause in Committee. The Government amended it on Report, but it still remained defective. It is one of the most inherently flawed clauses in the Bill. It is only right now that we can at least recognise that the Government have at long last accepted that fact. As the gun trade has been eloquent through the good offices of my noble friend Lord Shrewsbury on this matter, we may succeed in persuading the Government on others.