Thursday 17 Jan 2008 @ 10:06
Scottish Government
Scottish Government
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Scotland to host firearms summit
Scotland will host a summit to identify how best to reform the law on firearms, including air weapons, it was announced today.
The Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill has invited the Home Secretary to join the Scottish Government in holding the event - involving gun control campaigners, rural and shooting groups, law enforcement and other interests.
The summit aims to support a "comprehensive review of our firearms controls and laws" - making them simpler to understand, administer and enforce - as envisaged in the 2004 Home Office consultation.
Dr Mick North, Sharon McMillan and Andy Morton, all of whom have campaigned for tougher, more effective firearms controls, are due to meet Mr MacAskill on Thursday afternoon, ahead of a debate on the issue.
Mr MacAskill said:
"Communities across Scotland are crying out for tougher action to tackle the spread and misuse of firearms, in particular air weapons.
"Despite welcome past reforms, no responsible government can say the job is done. Not when firearms casualties in Scotland rose by a quarter last year - one in three of them children - and when cases of attempted murder involving firearms are almost three times that of a decade ago.
"So I'm frustrated the UK Government has refused to consider allowing the Scottish Parliament to act on this issue as our communities want.
"If Westminster fails to act on our communities' concerns, I do not accept the idea that an approach based on the 'lowest common denominator' does anything other than harm the interests of public safety.
"Indeed, a UK-wide approach can only have merit if the law underpinning it is fit for purpose. But, as the former Home Secretary indicated in 2004, the law is both difficult to understand and to enforce.
"Four years since the Home Office sought the public's views on an overhaul of the Firearms Act 1968, it is now time to replace the existing piecemeal, complex and convoluted legislation.
"We need a robust regime - more straightforward for legitimate users to comply with and more efficient for our police to administer and enforce. Above all there needs to be a much greater focus on public safety.
"I welcome the Home Secretary's suggestion that we work together. So I have invited her to join us in hosting a national firearms summit in Scotland.
"We have a shared interest in bringing together all of the interests, to ensure the summit acts as a springboard for practical action to tackle the insidious weapons culture that we must not allow to get a grip on our communities."
Scottish Ministers have asked officials to begin work on hosting a firearms summit, at the earliest practicable date - ensuring that the view of all of those with an interest will be represented and a clear plan for progress developed. Mr MacAskill has written to Home Secretary Jacqui Smith this week inviting the UK Government to jointly host the event.
In August and November Mr MacAskill wrote to Ms Smith proposing work begin to allow legislative responsibility over firearms to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament, following earlier discussions between the two Ministers and the First Minister and the UK Secretary of State for Justice.
Responding in December, the Home Secretary declined the request but expressed a wish to work closely with Scottish Ministers and other interests to exchange experience and best practice and ensure effective safeguards are in place and improvements made whenever possible.
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The Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill has invited the Home Secretary to join the Scottish Government in holding the event - involving gun control campaigners, rural and shooting groups, law enforcement and other interests.
The summit aims to support a "comprehensive review of our firearms controls and laws" - making them simpler to understand, administer and enforce - as envisaged in the 2004 Home Office consultation.
Dr Mick North, Sharon McMillan and Andy Morton, all of whom have campaigned for tougher, more effective firearms controls, are due to meet Mr MacAskill on Thursday afternoon, ahead of a debate on the issue.
Mr MacAskill said:
"Communities across Scotland are crying out for tougher action to tackle the spread and misuse of firearms, in particular air weapons.
"Despite welcome past reforms, no responsible government can say the job is done. Not when firearms casualties in Scotland rose by a quarter last year - one in three of them children - and when cases of attempted murder involving firearms are almost three times that of a decade ago.
"So I'm frustrated the UK Government has refused to consider allowing the Scottish Parliament to act on this issue as our communities want.
"If Westminster fails to act on our communities' concerns, I do not accept the idea that an approach based on the 'lowest common denominator' does anything other than harm the interests of public safety.
"Indeed, a UK-wide approach can only have merit if the law underpinning it is fit for purpose. But, as the former Home Secretary indicated in 2004, the law is both difficult to understand and to enforce.
"Four years since the Home Office sought the public's views on an overhaul of the Firearms Act 1968, it is now time to replace the existing piecemeal, complex and convoluted legislation.
"We need a robust regime - more straightforward for legitimate users to comply with and more efficient for our police to administer and enforce. Above all there needs to be a much greater focus on public safety.
"I welcome the Home Secretary's suggestion that we work together. So I have invited her to join us in hosting a national firearms summit in Scotland.
"We have a shared interest in bringing together all of the interests, to ensure the summit acts as a springboard for practical action to tackle the insidious weapons culture that we must not allow to get a grip on our communities."
Scottish Ministers have asked officials to begin work on hosting a firearms summit, at the earliest practicable date - ensuring that the view of all of those with an interest will be represented and a clear plan for progress developed. Mr MacAskill has written to Home Secretary Jacqui Smith this week inviting the UK Government to jointly host the event.
In August and November Mr MacAskill wrote to Ms Smith proposing work begin to allow legislative responsibility over firearms to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament, following earlier discussions between the two Ministers and the First Minister and the UK Secretary of State for Justice.
Responding in December, the Home Secretary declined the request but expressed a wish to work closely with Scottish Ministers and other interests to exchange experience and best practice and ensure effective safeguards are in place and improvements made whenever possible.
Related Information
