Orders of the Day — Firearms (Amendment) Bill

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 5:17 pm on 12 November 1996.

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Photo of Henry Bellingham Henry Bellingham , North West Norfolk 5:17, 12 November 1996

I am slightly confused about the development of Labour party policy. The hon. Member for Hartlepool (Mr. Mandelson) wrote a letter to his constituents in September saying that he had no intention of banning innocent members of the public from owning guns. He went on to say: It is Labour party policy that people such as yourself will be able to go on owning handguns, but they must be kept safely under lock and key. I am well aware that the hon. Member for Blackburn (Mr. Straw) says that there will be a free vote on the Opposition side, but at what point in time did Labour party policy change on the matter, given the supreme importance to the hon. Member for Hartlepool of the fact that he is obviously senior to the hon. Gentleman?