22 February 2008
We received a petition asking:
"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to help us protect and support our sport of airgun shooting from unnecessary and unfair legislation."
Details of Petition:
"We, the undersigned, petition the Prime Minister to help us protect and support our sport of air gun shooting, by pressing for policing and enforcement of existing, already strict, restrictions and legislation, and to not add further restrictions on their ownership and use by law-abiding people. We believe that further restrictions on our sports and pastimes (such as are being currently discussed in Scotland) are not only unwarranted and unfair, but unnecessary, and will penalise only the responsible, sensible and law-abiding majority of airgun shooters. Air guns are not only used for sports in the Olympics and Commonwealth games, where Great Britain is very successful, but also provide an entry into other shooting sports. Airguns also play a vital role in pest control where firearms and other methods may be unsuitable. We want to see the small number of criminals that misuse airguns caught by the police and prosecuted to the fullest extent of existing laws. We do not want the creation of more new laws which will adversely affect the law-abiding while allowing criminals to continue their illegal activities."
Read the Government’s response
The Government accepts that there are legitimate uses for air weapons and that the majority of owners use their air weapons responsibly. However, there is a minority of people who misuse air weapons, causing great concern in the community, and the Government is determined to tackle this problem. In doing so, we will always look to act proportionately so that legitimate air weapon owners are inconvenienced as little as possible.
The Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 introduced new controls on air weapons to tackle their misuse. The Act:
- required businesses which sell air weapons to register with the police as firearms dealers and to complete sales on a face-to-face basis;
- increased to 18 the minimum age for buying or possessing an air weapon; and
- made it an offence for anyone of any age to fire an air weapon beyond the boundary of premises.
The Government intends to allow these measures time to take effect before considering the need for any further controls, although it cannot rule out earlier action if it becomes necessary on public safety grounds.
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