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| Statistical Bulletin - Criminal Justice Series |
| Firearm Certificates Statistics, Scotland, 1997 |
| 3. Firearm certificates (Tables 1, 2 and 2A) Number of firearm certificates on issue and new applications (Table 1) 3.1 At the end of 1997, 31,094 firearm certificates were on issue, a decrease of 959 on the number on issue at the end of 1996. During the mid-1980s there was a steady upward trend apparent in the number of firearm certificates on issue at each year end, reaching a peak of 38,465 in 1987. Following the implementation of the 1988 Act the number of firearm certificates on issue fell by approximately 5,000 to 33,540 in 1989 and continued to fall in subsequent years, to number 31,382 in 1992. Between 1992 and 1995 the number of firearm certificates on issue at each year end increased slightly before falling in 1996 and 1997. The total number of firearm certificates on issue at 31 December 1997 was the lowest figure ever recorded; largely due to the large number of cancellations arising from the hand-in period which took place during the year. 3.2 In 1997 permission was granted for 1,291 new firearm certificates, 309 less than the number in 1996 and the lowest recorded number of new applications granted. Over the ten year period 1988-1997 the annual number of applications for new firearm certificates decreased by over 60 per cent, from 3,324 in 1988 to 1,304 in 1997. Of the 1,304 applications for a new firearm certificate in 1997, 13 (1.0 per cent) were refused. Number of firearm certificates renewed, cancelled, varied and revoked (Tables 2 and 2A) 3.3 Following the Dunblane incident in March 1996, legislative changes were made to the Firearms Act 1968. Section 5 of the 1968 Act (as amended by the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997) was changed to prohibit the possession of certain small firearms and, in particular, the prohibition of all large calibre handguns with effect from 1 October 1997. Further details of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 are provided in Note 6 of the Annex. 3.4 In advance of the 1 October 1997 implementation date there was a hand-in period between 1 July and 30 September 1997 which enabled existing owners of any ‘soon to be’ prohibited firearms to hand them in to the police. In such cases the firearm certificate may have been cancelled or varied (no fee charged) depending on the number and type of firearms listed on the certificate. Alternatively, the certificate may still be in place with changes made only to the number of firearms held i.e. a large calibre handgun surrendered and certificate changed to include only the remaining other firearms. 3.5 In 1997 there were 2,069 cancellations of existing certificates (6.7 per cent when expressed as a proportion of the total number of firearm certificates on issue at 31 December 1997). This compares with 1,711 in 1996 (5.3 per when expressed as a percentage of the total number of firearm certificates on issue at 31 December 1996). In these circumstances the holder chooses not to (or fails to) renew their certificate. Chart 2 New applications and cancellations, Scotland, 1993-97 
3.6 A total of 9,027 firearm certificates were renewed in 1997, about 81 per cent of the number of certificates due to expire (see Annex Note 7 for details of this calculation). Twenty-six applications for renewal were refused. 3.7 The number and types of firearm held on a certificate may be varied on application. A fee is charged where a variation increases the number of firearms authorised by the certificate (see Annex Note 7). In 1997 an estimated 490 certificates were varied where a fee was charged, approximately 2 per cent of the certificates on issue at the end of 1997. Similarly, approximately 4 per cent of certificates were varied where no fee was charged. 3.8 In 1997, 80 certificates were revoked compared with the 1996 figure of 86, the highest number of revocations recorded in the 1990s. This represents 0.3 per cent of the total on issue at the year end. Certificates may be revoked at any time if the Chief Constable decides that the holder should no longer be allowed to possess a firearm. Analysis by police force area (Table 2) 3.9 Over a quarter of the total number of firearm certificates on issue at the end of 1997 were in the Northern Constabulary area (8,060), a similar proportion to that evident in 1996. In 1997, as in the previous two years, Grampian and Strathclyde jointly constituted a further 34 per cent of the total. The number of firearm certificates on issue per head of population was highest in Northern Constabulary (2,882 per 100,000 population) and lowest in Strathclyde (209 per 100,000 population). 3.10 Northern Constabulary recorded the highest number of applications granted for new firearm certificates (a total of 256; 20 per cent of all applications granted). The proportion of applications for a new firearm certificate which were refused varied between police forces, reflecting individual or local circumstances. All forces recorded between 5 and 8 times as many renewal applications as new applications with the exception of Central and Northern Constabulary who recorded 11 times as many renewal as new applications. The higher proportions evident in Central and Northern Constabulary can be attributed to the decreases in the number of new applications in 1997 in each of these forces - down 33 per cent and 30 per cent respectively when compared to the numbers in 1996. Chart 3 New applications for firearm and shot gun certificates granted, Scotland, 1988-97 
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