Violent Crime Reduction Bill

As I am sure the noble Baroness and the noble Earl will accept, Ministers at all times attempt to be helpful. I give a word of thanks to the noble Earl on this matter, because he and Mr Batley have between them done a first-rate job in pointing out where the clause was defective. We are very grateful to them for their help. I would like that to be recorded in Hansard because it happens to be the case. The best stories are always those which are the case, as it were. We accept that an ammunition loading press is a device used to carry out the full range of mechanical operations required to reload a cartridge. We accept that these various stages can be carried out without specialist equipment, using simple tools available from any DIY shop. Moreover, although we have tried to keep this clause proportionate and have exempted antique presses, there remain difficulties of interpretation, as the noble Baroness alluded to, as to what precisely is covered by this clause. Given that it is not possible to reload ammunition without primers, and bearing in mind the controls that we have introduced in Clause 30 to restrict the sale and purchase of these items, we accept entirely that it is no longer necessary for Clause 31 to stand part of the Bill. Both sides of the Committee are completely at one on this, and I congratulate the noble Earl on his hard work. Clause 31 negatived. Clause 32 [Manufacture, import and sale of realistic imitation firearms]: