First minister promises Scots gun control

Jack McConnell has promised to "go further" than the Home Office in outlawing air guns in Scotland.

Speaking at his weekly Holyrood question time on Thursday, the first minister said the devolved executive would act "in a measured way" in response to the shooting of a two year-old boy in Glasgow last week.

But he pledged to introduce tighter controls on the sale of firearms north of the border if the Westminster government does not do enough to satisfy voters concerns in the wake of Andrew Morton's death.

Labour MSP Frank McAveety asked the first minister "what action will be taken to curb reckless and irresponsible use of air guns".

"The decent majority of people require our constant support to tackle persistent problems of anti-social behaviour," he added.

"None more so anti-social and dangerous than the use of air rifles.

"Will the first minister ensure that the executive make an urgent priority to deal with the purchase, regulation and use of such weapons in Scotland to reduce the possibility of such a tragedy ever happening again?"

Tragedy

McConnell replied that "the tragic shooting in Glasgow last week demonstrated just how dangerous air guns are in the wrong hands".

"I am sure that the parliament will join with me today in expressing sympathy with the family of young Andrew Morton," he said.

"We are contributing to the current Home Office review of firearms law, that is looking carefully at whether further controls on air weapons are necessary and we will report back to parliament as soon as we can.

"As I said last weekend it would be wrong for politicians to have an immediate, knee-jerk reaction the tragic circumstances facing this family and that community. But it is also important that we do not rule out even the most severe action that we could take.

"I think we need to make it more difficult to acquire air guns, to make sure that there are less air guns in circulation, we are actively engaged with the Home Office in determining methods that will help secure those objectives.

"We in this executive are determined to close loopholes and we are determined to look all options for tighter control. And we will press the Home Office for changes that we think are required."

He added that: "The Home Office has already said that they will be taking action on replica weapons, but I believe we will need to go further.

"But we will do so in a measured way."

Amnesty 

He also suggested that a firearms amnesty be put in place so that gun owners and their families can take their own action in response to the killing.

"I believe there will be many gun holders and, in particular, parents of young gun holders who will be appalled at what happened last week in Glasgow and who will want to assist us in taking air guns off the street," McConnell said.

"Therefore we will work with the Scottish forces to ensure that arrangements are put in place quickly so that in every community in Scotland people who want to ensure that their children's air guns, or their own air guns, are taken out of the situation are able to do that quickly in co-operation with their local police force, to do that securely.

"My message, particularly to parents of young holders today, is bring that gun in, get it off the streets and ensure that Scotland is a safer place as a result."