JUSTICE Secretary Kenny MacAskill wants Scotland to pilot a UK-wide licensing system for airguns, banning possession for all but a small number who could prove they need the firearms.
MacAskill has written to the Home Office asking to be allowed to run an airgun licensing pilot scheme north of the border, which would make it illegal to posses an airgun without a permit.
The Home Office has given the proposal a cautious response
and hinted that the pilot would mean different systems operating north and south of the border.
The Nationalists have been pressing for tougher rules on airguns in Scotland, claiming they are a bigger menace north of the border than they are in England. Around 500 crimes committed each year involve airguns in Scotland.
The SNP has already been rebuffed in its efforts to have responsibility for firearms laws devolved to ministers in Edinburgh rather than being a matter for Westminster.
MacAskill has now written to Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, asking to be allowed to run a pilot programme in Scotland that would see it made a crime to own an airgun without a licence. Moreover, anyone wanting a licence would need to justify why they needed an airgun – for example, being a farmer who needed to shoot small animals or a member of a shooting club who wanted to practise.
In his letter, MacAskill says: "Given your position expressed in our previous correspondence on the transfer of responsibility for all firearms legislation to the Scottish Parliament, I stand ready and keen to pilot ideas here in Scotland which emerge from the debate on firearms reform, including stronger controls on air weapons, for example, through their incorporation within a simplified and coherent firearms licensing regime."
Last night he added: "This is not about radically different approaches either side of the border, but about working collectively to tackle the real concerns in our communities. Quite simply, we must not and will not allow firearms to get a grip on our communities."
A Scottish Government source added: "We think we should have control of firearms law. But failing that, we should be allowed to pilot our own plans in Scotland. There are people in the Government down south who agree with us on having a tighter scheme for airguns. This would allow them to see how it would work and they could bring it in in England if they wanted. Just try it out in Scotland. We would urge them not to put the Home Office's own administrative convenience before the safety of Scottish communities."
The Home Office gave the letter and proposal only a cautious response and hinted that recent changes in the law should be allowed to bed in before any more amendments.
A Home Office spokeswoman said: "We will carefully consider the proposals in the letter with a view to ensuring that the safeguards we have in place are effective and improvements are made wherever possible.
"We have worked closely with Scottish ministers to develop measures for inclusion in the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006. These measures have only recently come into force and it is important that they are given time to have an impact before considering further legislative change.
"These measures include increasing to 18 the minimum age for buying or possessing an air weapon and making it an offence for a person to sell or transfer air weapons by way of trade or business, unless they are registered with the police as a firearms dealer."
Colin Sheddon, director of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation Scotland, said: "We realise that there is a problem that needs to be addressed. There are too many incidents involving air weapons. A licensing scheme could work as long as it recognised the categories that do need to use air weapons: game shooting practice, pest control and target shooting."
Gun law• Air guns are considered firearms and fall under the control of firearms legislation.
• It is an offence for any person, regardless of age, to carry an air weapon and ammunition into a public place without a reasonable excuse for its possession. Air guns cannot be taken into buildings or onto private property if the owner has not been notified.
•It is illegal to fire an air gun at humans, protected wild birds, or any other animals, including pets. Live quarry shooting is allowed. Air guns cannot be fired with the intent to damage property.
• Air guns cannot be used by anyone under 17 unless they are at a shooting gallery, are a member of an air gun club, or are supervised by an adult. Those aged 14 to 17 can use an air gun unsupervised as long as they are on private land and have permission from the owner.
• Air guns do not require a licence unless they are over the UK legal limit of 12ft lbs muzzle energy for rifles and 6ft lbs muzzle energy for pistols.
