This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
Statistics show drop in gun ownership
23/07/2003
Deputy Justice Minister Hugh Henry today welcomed new
figures showing firearm and shot gun certificates issued in
Scotland are at lowest levels ever.
The figures continue the trend in Scotland since 1996 of
year-on-year reductions of certificates issued.
There has been almost a 20 per cent reduction in
firearms certificates since the Dunblane tragedy.
Mr Henry said:
"We are working to deliver a safer, stronger Scotland. I
welcome the fact that the numbers of certificates held for
firearms and shot guns continues to fall.
"However, there is no room for complacency. We must
continue to highlight the dangers posed by guns and other
weapons and ensure that the bare minimum are held in our
communities. All the agencies involved in the drive to
improve public safety across Scotland share that goal.
"The majority of people in Scotland continue to show a
sensible and responsible attitude to the ownership of these
weapons, and are working with the police to ensure that we
maintain the progress made since tightening the regulations
on gun ownership.
"However I am concerned that while the number of gun
owners is falling, the number of legally-held firearms
shows a small increase from 2001. Today's figures do not
take into account last week's Firearms Amnesty figures.
Nearly 3,400 firearms and almost 700 knives were handed in
to our police forces in April 2003. This is an encouraging
sign."