Scottish airgun licensing debate reminder

[Garvin]

I just received this email:

Stage 1 Debate on the Air Weapons and Licensing (Scotland) Bill

I am writing to remind you that the Stage 1 debate on the Air Weapons and Licensing (Scotland) Bill will take place tomorrow Thursday 23 April 2015, starting at 2.30pm in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.

The purpose of the Stage 1 debate is to allow the full Parliament to debate the general principles (policy and purpose) of the Bill, as well as the findings and recommendations of the Local Government and Regeneration Committee’s Stage 1 report on the Bill. Immediately following the debate, the Parliament will vote on whether to approve the Bill at Stage 1 (at Decision Time at 5pm).

If you wish to attend the session you can book tickets online, free of charge, for the public gallery of the Debating Chamber, or you can ring the Parliament’s Visitor Services Department on 0131 348 5200. You can also watch the debate live online on the Parliament’s broadcast website from 2.30pm. The debate may also be available to watch on the Scotland section of the BBC Democracy Live website.

[havengore]

With the SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon hoping to influence Westminster & English law after the election, let us hope any proposed changes in the law north & south of the border on airguns are beaten down. Her insistence on doing away with nuclear missile submarines should she get her way are abhorrent. Making stricter laws on the use of airguns would mean newer generations wouldn’t even know which end of any weapon to point at an enemy let alone fire a shot. That I know sounds alarmist but we should be sure that future generations living in eastern blocks will be well schooled in such activities. At this rate we will be 'throwing' expletives whilst our enemies bombard us with live fire. Far from laws being made stricter there should be encouragement for more shooting clubs & the like amongst our younger generations.

[Garvin]

I just received this email:

Stage 1 Debate on the Air Weapons and Licensing (Scotland) Bill

I am writing to remind you that the Stage 1 debate on the Air Weapons and Licensing (Scotland) Bill will take place tomorrow Thursday 23 April 2015, starting at 2.30pm in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.

The purpose of the Stage 1 debate is to allow the full Parliament to debate the general principles (policy and purpose) of the Bill, as well as the findings and recommendations of the Local Government and Regeneration Committee’s Stage 1 report on the Bill. Immediately following the debate, the Parliament will vote on whether to approve the Bill at Stage 1 (at Decision Time at 5pm).

If you wish to attend the session you can book tickets online, free of charge, for the public gallery of the Debating Chamber, or you can ring the Parliament’s Visitor Services Department on 0131 348 5200. You can also watch the debate live online on the Parliament’s broadcast website from 2.30pm. The debate may also be available to watch on the Scotland section of the BBC Democracy Live website.

An interesting admission on the eve of the debate made by Kenny Macaskill's successor, Michael Matheson, that the SNP is all alone in its appetite to license airguns:

The UK Government has no plans to introduce licensing of air weapons and resisted the Calman Commission’s 2009 recommendation that responsibility for air weapons should be devolved. Similarly, there is little apparent appetite in the European Commission for introducing any central regulation of air weapons. The overarching EU legislation on firearms - Council Directive 91/477/EEC (as amended) – does not include controls on air weapons and priorities for the Commission lie in areas such as the control of high powered firearms, including controls on trafficking, reactivation of de commissioned weapons and the use of guns in organised crime. While I would support any reasonable measures to better control potentially lethal air weapons, I do not see any prospect for such regulation in the foreseeable future.

[GoodWILLHunting]

Yeah, should be interesting. I'll be watching, or listening at least.

[Garvin]

Matheson's full comments here, dealing with among other things the fact they are planning to license the person and not the gun itself:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S4...t_20150422.pdf

Reading this garbage, you can really see how the SNP is pursuing a vindictive policy that they know will mainly affect law-abiding people who happen to enjoy shooting airguns and aimed at getting large numbers of people to hand in 'unwanted' airguns for destruction. Three times, Matheson mentions the need for an education campaign to alert people to the licensing regime and each time says it will be accompanied by information about how to dispose of 'unwanted' airguns.

He is clearly setting up a future benchmark of the success of this policy as the number of guns handed in to the police for destruction. That is, statistics may show that illegal use of airguns continues its steady downward trend after licensing, as it has for the last several years. But the SNP will claim that the fact that x thousand airguns have been 'taken off the street' by the pre-licensing amnesty amounts to a 'success' for the whole ridiculous policy.

[GoodWILLHunting]

Matheson's full comments here, dealing with among other things the fact they are planning to license the person and not the gun itself:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S4...t_20150422.pdf

Reading this garbage, you can really see how the SNP is pursuing a vindictive policy that they know will mainly affect law-abiding people who happen to enjoy shooting airguns and aimed at getting large numbers of people to hand in 'unwanted' airguns for destruction. Three times, Matheson mentions the need for an education campaign to alert people to the licensing regime and each time says it will be accompanied by information about how to dispose of 'unwanted' airguns.

He is clearly setting up a future benchmark of the success of this policy as the number of guns handed in to the police for destruction. That is, statistics may show that illegal use of airguns continues its steady downward trend after licensing, as it has for the last several years. But the SNP will claim that the fact that x thousand airguns have been 'taken off the street' by the pre-licensing amnesty amounts to a 'success' for the whole ridiculous policy.

Are you writing speeches for David Cameron Lets wait and see what happens tomorrow

[Garvin]

Are you writing speeches for David Cameron Lets wait and see what happens tomorrow

Are you still an SNP supporter who intends to vote for this anti-airgun rabble?

[fudstoneboy]

Be very aware guys if nippy nicola gets her coalition puppet army, she will do her damndest to ensure any and all legislation "her"government wish to saddle us with, WILL go through, do not doubt that for a minute, this is a deeply divisive, bullying, misinformation bunch of rabid and extreme nationalists, the only way is their way.
After the debacle of the referendum vote, the snp seem determined to act like a wee pissed up glaswegian, spreading his lies and vitriolic hatred of everyone and anyone who does not agree with him, I feel genuinely ashamed to call myself scottish because of them, the quicker they are got rid of, the better, bunch o twats

[Microtia]

Are you still an SNP supporter who intends to vote for this anti-airgun rabble?

Anyone who shoots who votes labour needs their brains tested