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Minister comments on firearms statistics
23/10/2007
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill pledged to pursue further measures to remove more firearms from Scotland's streets as figures today showed a 25 per cent rise in those suffering injuries from firearms last year.
A total of 247 firearms incidents resulted in injuries or death to people during 2006-07 compared to 197 in 2005-06.
Air weapons accounted for 58 per cent (144) of these cases, as well as 54 per cent (675) of all 1,245 firearms offences recorded by police in the 12 months up to April.
Scottish Ministers believe a consolidated Firearms Act, designed to address Scotland's needs and circumstances, is needed. Legislative responsibility for firearms is currently reserved to Westminster.
In August Mr MacAskill wrote to the Home Secretary proposing work begins to allow responsibility to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament, following earlier discussions between the two Ministers and between the First Minister and the UK Secretary of State for Justice.
Today he said:
"As a country we must be concerned that firearms casualties rose by a quarter last year, one in three of them children, and cases of attempted murder involving firearms were almost three times that of a decade ago.
"The police achieved high clear-up rates and I know they share the Scottish Government's determination to tackle the misuse of firearms in our communities. However, we don't yet have the legislative powers to act, which are reserved to Westminster.
"We fully supported previous reforms brought in by the UK Parliament, including the recent tightening of air weapon sales. But no responsible government can look at these figures and say the job is done.
"While knife-crime remains much more prevalent in Scotland - and we will not let up on our work to tackle that - we must not and will not allow gun crime to get a grip on any of our communities.
"I want to build on the reforms of recent years, working with ACPOS and other interested groups to develop and implement workable, practical options to deal with these issues.
"Clearly, in the short-term, non-legislative measures will be part of that. But the time is right to look afresh at the existing law, which has been amended considerably over the last 20 years, resulting in piecemeal, complex and convoluted legislation in this important area.
"We need a robust regime - more straightforward for legitimate users to comply with and more efficient for the police to administer and enforce. Above all there needs to be a much greater focus on public safety.
"Having discussed this matter directly with the UK Government, and since written to the Home Secretary, I hope that further, positive discussions between our governments can begin soon.
"We now have a clearer picture of the challenges facing us and the Scottish Government is determined that the cancer of gun crime must be stopped in its tracks."