LONDON - The British government suffered a triple defeat in the House of Lords yesterday over its plans to crack down on handgun ownership after the Dunblane massacre in which 16 schoolchildren and their teacher were shot dead.
First, the pro-shooting lobby succeeded by a majority of 14 votes to force through an amendment to the Firearms (Amendment) Bill allowing handgun owners to keep their weapons at home, providing the working parts are kept separately at secure gun clubs. Later, the Home Secretary, Mr Michael Howard, suffered another rebuff when a bid to compensate gun dealers affected by the ban on high-calibre hand guns was carried.
Then the government was defeated as peers insisted by 57 votes to 53 that the bill should provide for a centralised police register of licensed firearms holders.