News story: Home Office writes to interested parties on air weapon regulation

The Home Office will today begin seeking the views of interested parties as part of the air weapons review in England and Wales, announced by the Minister for Policing and the Fire Service, Nick Hurd. The review was announced in October following a recommendation by Her Majesty’s Senior Coroner for Suffolk, Dr Peter Dean, who wrote to the Home Office requesting a review after the death of Benjamin Wragge, aged 13, who was accidently shot by an air weapon.

The review will seek feedback on whether existing controls are sufficient to prevent children getting hold of air weapons and the potential for placing extra requirements on adults regarding the security of air weapons when children are present.

The review will also ask for views on:

• the storage and safe-keeping of air weapons, including possible requirements for increased security e.g. trigger locks or locked cabinets
• whether further measures are needed on manufacturing standards to prevent accidental discharge of air weapons or to prevent modification of air weapons post-sale in order to increase their power; and
• evidence from Scotland and Northern Ireland, where air weapons are subject to a licensing regime

The Home Office is writing to a number of families who have raised the issue of air weapon legislation with their MPs as well as police forces and relevant charities and representative bodies such as the RSPCA, the Gun Control Network, the British Shooting Sports Council and the Gun Trade Association.

These interested parties and members of the public can share evidence on the topics in the review by 6 February 2017 and write to firearmsconsultations@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk.