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Tayside Airgun Club chief’s fears over new gun laws

Tayside Airgun Club chief’s fears over new gun laws

The chairman of Tayside Airgun Club believes the Scottish Government will press ahead with controversial new legislation to license air weapons.

Kathleen Male does not think the Government will be swayed despite 87% of responses to its own consultation opposing the licensing proposal.

On Tuesday the Scottish Parliament’s Public Petitions Committee will meet to discuss a petition opposing airgun licensing proposals signed by over 14,500 people.

Mrs Male, who lives in Forfar, responded to the consultation process with a submission that such measures would only penalise law-abiding airgun users.

Now the Government has revealed that the consultation attracted 1101 responses with 954 (87%) opposed to the principle of licensing air weapons.

Mrs Male said: “Unfortunately, we feel that the Scottish Government will still press ahead for legislation.”

The Government aims to introduce a system of licensing and regulation to “ensure that only those people with a legitimate reason for owning and using an airgun should have access to them.”

It does not think that it is appropriate that there can be up to half a million “unregistered, uncontrolled and often forgotten firearms in circulation.”

Tayside Airgun Club said it does not agree that greater restrictions should be placed on where air weapon owners can shoot.

Mrs Male said the consultation also took place without a business and regulatory impact assessment (BRIA) which “shows that they may have jumped the gun.”

A spokesman for the British Association for Shooting and Conservation said costly mistakes have already been made as a result of the Scottish licensing scheme for knife sales.

He added: “The proposed licensing of low powered airguns is a misguided attempt to control criminal misuse of airguns.

“Criminals will not apply for a licence. Airgun licensing will only impose financial penalties and administrative burdens on already law abiding citizens.”

The Scottish Government said: “The majority of the respondents to this consultation (87%) were opposed to the principle of licensing air weapons.

“The remaining respondents either supported the principle of licensing and the Scottish Government’s proposals; advocated greater restrictions (or a full ban) on air weapon use; or they expressed mixed or unclear views.

“Those opposed to licensing in principle disagreed with individual aspects of the proposals, and argued for less regulation or a “light touch” in response to various questions.

“They favoured a system based on licensing of the owner rather than licensing of individual air weapons, and argued for low age limits, low fees (or no fees), saw visitor permits as unnecessary and unenforceable, and wished to see more liberal or “proportionate” arrangements in relation to hand-in, enforcement and penalties. They also argued strongly for the scheme to incorporate compensation for those handing in weapons.

“This group advocated education, training and communication, along with enforcement of current legislation, as alternative means of achieving the policy aims.”