ARMS AND EXPLOSIVES (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

3.48 p.m.

The Minister for Health and Home Affairs (Mr Chua Sian Chin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

This Bill seeks to amend the Arms and Explosives Act (Chapter 238 of the Revised Edition) to empower the licensing authority to forfeit any arms or explosives deposited with him in accordance with the provisions of the Act or any rules made thereunder or any other written law for the time being in force, if such deposited arms or explosives are not claimed by its owner or owners within six months.

The following arms are deposited with the Arms and Explosives Branch of the Singapore Police Force:

(a) Arms belonging to the person whose possession of such arms becomes unlawful in consequence of

(i) expiry of his licence;

(ii) suspension of his licence;

(iii) cancellation of his licence;

(b) Arms belonging to transit passengers which are handed over to the police for safe custody; and

(c) Arms brought into Singapore and waiting for licences to possess.

There is no difficulty in dealing with arms falling under category (a) aforementioned, as the law on this is clear. Any arms deposited with the police in consequence of the expiry, suspension or cancellation of licences become forfeit if no licence to possess is taken within six months. Arms falling under categories (b) and (c) aforementioned, however, pose a problem, for currently there is no provision in any written law for the disposal of arms not claimed by transit passengers or for which a licence to possess in Singapore is not approved. Such arms have accumulated in the armoury of the Arms and Explosives Branch of the Singapore Police Force over the years and are occupying valuable storage space.

The number of such arms as on 3rd November, 1972, was as follows: Rifles 52 pieces Air rifles 73 pieces Pistols 62 pieces Revolvers 21 pieces Air pistols 15 pieces Shotguns 44 pieces Krises 63 pieces Swords 115 pieces Hunting knives 17 pieces Walking sticks with daggers 54 pieces Daggers 72 pieces

Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.

The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill.----[Mr Chua Sian Chin].

Bill considered in Committee.

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

3.54 p.m.

Clause 1 -

The Chairman: There is a note, in page 1, line 4, to leave out "1972" and insert "1973". This will be done.

Clause 1 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 2 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Bill reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.