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Firearm certificates statistics 2007
27/05/2008
Scotland's Chief Statistician today published Firearm Certificates Statistics, Scotland, 2007. The publication includes statistics on the number of firearm and shot gun certificates on issue in Scotland at the end of 2007, along with the number of weapons held on certificate.
The main findings are:
- There were 26,056 firearm certificates on issue at the end of 2007, a decrease of 1 per cent from 2006 and 16 per cent lower than the number on issue in 1998
- However, the number of firearms held on certificate was 66,893, an increase of 1 per cent from 2006 and the highest number held in the 10 year period covered by the bulletin
- Similarly, the number of shotgun certificates on issue at the end of 2007 was 49,213, a decrease of 2 percent from 2006 and 22 per cent lower than in 1998
- However, the number of shotguns held on certificate was 133,940, which is 1 per cent higher than in 2006 and the highest number held in the 10 year period covered by the bulletin
- There were 301 registered firearms dealers in Scotland at the end of 2007, an increase of 6 per cent from the 283 registered dealers at the end of 2006
Since 1997, various changes have been made to firearms legislation to enhance public safety:
The Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 introduced a requirement for anyone selling or transferring air weapons by way of trade and or business register with the police as a firearms dealer. This requirement came into effect on 1 October 2007, although businesses were able to start the registration process from 6 April 2007.
Since January 20, 2004, there has been a ban on the sale, manufacture and import of self contained gas cartridge (SCGC) air weapons. Individuals who held such weapons had until 30 April 2004 to surrender them to the police or apply for a licence. This has increased the number of air weapons possessed on certificate compared to previous years.
Under the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 and Firearms (Amendment)(No.2) Act 1997, all pistols - otherwise referred to as handguns - were banned. The Firearms Amendment Act 1997 provided special exemptions from prohibition for slaughtering instruments, and certain firearms used at athletic meeting, for the humane killing of animals, trophies of war etc.
Changes in regulations regarding the length of time a firearm or shot gun certificate was valid for took effect from 1 January 1995, increasing the period of certification from three to five years. As this includes both applications for new certificates and renewals of existing certificates this effectively meant that no certificates required renewal in either 1998 or 1999. This had the knock-on effect of reducing numbers of renewals in 2003 and 2004, with numbers rising again in 2005 and 2006. Numbers of cancellations are similarly affected.
Official statistics are produced by professionally independent statistical staff.