The Home Office has not had recent discussions with Police Scotland or Scottish trading standards bodies in relation to realistic imitation firearms that are not readily convertible to fire live ammunition. Chief Constables have operational responsibility for enforcing the legislation which applies to realistic imitation firearms.

Section 36 of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 makes it an offence for a person to manufacture, sell, import or cause a realistic imitation firearm to be brought into Great Britain and it also makes it an offence to modify an imitation firearm so that it becomes a realistic imitation firearm. Section 37 of that Act provides for specified defences to this offence which include making the realistic imitation firearm available for theatrical performances, the production of films or television programmes, and the organisation and holding of certain historical re-enactments or skirmishing activities.

In addition, it is an offence under section 19 of the Firearms Act 1968 for a person to have an imitation firearm in their possession in public without lawful authority or reasonable excuse.

There has been action taken by the National Crime Agency and police forces in England and Wales against certain types of imitation firearms that have been found to be readily convertible into lethal firing firearms. Such imitation firearms, depending on their features, are subject to firearms legislation and are illegal. An amnesty was held in February this year to allow owners of the certain types of imitation firearms of concern to hand them into police stations so they can be disposed of safely.

Discussions were held with the authorities in Scotland about the imitation firearms of concern, including Police Scotland, the Scottish Police Authority, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), and the Scottish Government, and I also wrote to the Lord Advocate about whether a similar scheme could be introduced in Scotland. We were advised that the operational and legal context in Scotland were different, and a public awareness campaign would be considered to support public safety in respect of these imitation firearms.

The Government works closely with the National Crime Agency and the National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) to address any potential risks to public safety posed by the sale and possession of imitation firearms. The Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 makes it an offence to manufacture, import or sell a realistic imitation firearm. It is also a requirement that imitation firearms are safe for their intended and foreseeable use before they are placed on the market.

The Government, the National Crime Agency and the NPCC, together with Border Force, have taken, and continue to take, action to prevent the import and sale, including online sales, of certain types of blank firing firearms, which are viewed as readily convertible, to prevent these getting into the hands of criminals. Such imitation firearms are contrary to existing legislation, and to remove these particular types of imitation firearms from circulation, a four-week amnesty was run by the NPCC in February this year saw around 3,000 such firearms being handed in to police forces, and further action is being planned to remove further makes of blank firing imitation firearms from circulation as they have been found to be readily convertible.

The Government works closely with the National Crime Agency and the National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) to address any potential risks to public safety posed by the sale and possession of imitation firearms. The Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 makes it an offence to manufacture, import or sell a realistic imitation firearm. It is also a requirement that imitation firearms are safe for their intended and foreseeable use before they are placed on the market.

The Government, the National Crime Agency and the NPCC, together with Border Force, have taken, and continue to take, action to prevent the import and sale, including online sales, of certain types of blank firing firearms, which are viewed as readily convertible, to prevent these getting into the hands of criminals. Such imitation firearms are contrary to existing legislation, and to remove these particular types of imitation firearms from circulation, a four-week amnesty was run by the NPCC in February this year saw around 3,000 such firearms being handed in to police forces, and further action is being planned to remove further makes of blank firing imitation firearms from circulation as they have been found to be readily convertible.

In the year ending September 2018, the police forces of England and Wales recorded 1,342 offences involving an imitation firearm, a 20% fall compared with the previous year (1,668 offences). Statistics about imitation firearms which have been seized by police forces are not recorded by the Home Office.

Existing legislation ensures that there are controls in place relating to imitation firearms. The Policing and Crime Act 2017 introduced a new offence to prevent the unlawful conversion of imitation firearms, and other controls include specifications on the manufacture of blank firing imitation firearms, and legislation to ensure that readily convertible imitation firearms must be held on a firearms certificate.

It is an offence to possess an imitation firearm with the intent to cause someone to fear that unlawful violence will be used against them or another person. Imitation firearms which are difficult to distinguish from real firearms are subject to specific controls. The Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 specifies that the size, shape and principal colour are to be taken into account in determining whether an imitation firearm is to be considered a realistic imitation firearm. There are a number of legitimate activities in relation to the possession of realistic imitation firearms, including for the purposes of historical re-enactment and airsoft skirmishing.

Firearms legislation and controls, including in relation to imitation firearms, are kept under review to ensure we have the right intelligence, detection and enforcement capabilities and policies in place to prevent the misuse of firearms.

In the year ending September 2018, the police forces of England and Wales recorded 1,342 offences involving an imitation firearm, a 20% fall compared with the previous year (1,668 offences). Statistics about imitation firearms which have been seized by police forces are not recorded by the Home Office.

Existing legislation ensures that there are controls in place relating to imitation firearms. The Policing and Crime Act 2017 introduced a new offence to prevent the unlawful conversion of imitation firearms, and other controls include specifications on the manufacture of blank firing imitation firearms, and legislation to ensure that readily convertible imitation firearms must be held on a firearms certificate.

It is an offence to possess an imitation firearm with the intent to cause someone to fear that unlawful violence will be used against them or another person. Imitation firearms which are difficult to distinguish from real firearms are subject to specific controls. The Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 specifies that the size, shape and principal colour are to be taken into account in determining whether an imitation firearm is to be considered a realistic imitation firearm. There are a number of legitimate activities in relation to the possession of realistic imitation firearms, including for the purposes of historical re-enactment and airsoft skirmishing.

Firearms legislation and controls, including in relation to imitation firearms, are kept under review to ensure we have the right intelligence, detection and enforcement capabilities and policies in place to prevent the misuse of firearms.

In the year ending September 2018, the police forces of England and Wales recorded 1,342 offences involving an imitation firearm, a 20% fall compared with the previous year (1,668 offences). Statistics about imitation firearms which have been seized by police forces are not recorded by the Home Office.

Existing legislation ensures that there are controls in place relating to imitation firearms. The Policing and Crime Act 2017 introduced a new offence to prevent the unlawful conversion of imitation firearms, and other controls include specifications on the manufacture of blank firing imitation firearms, and legislation to ensure that readily convertible imitation firearms must be held on a firearms certificate.

It is an offence to possess an imitation firearm with the intent to cause someone to fear that unlawful violence will be used against them or another person. Imitation firearms which are difficult to distinguish from real firearms are subject to specific controls. The Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 specifies that the size, shape and principal colour are to be taken into account in determining whether an imitation firearm is to be considered a realistic imitation firearm. There are a number of legitimate activities in relation to the possession of realistic imitation firearms, including for the purposes of historical re-enactment and airsoft skirmishing.

Firearms legislation and controls, including in relation to imitation firearms, are kept under review to ensure we have the right intelligence, detection and enforcement capabilities and policies in place to prevent the misuse of firearms.

In the year ending September 2018, the police forces of England and Wales recorded 1,342 offences involving an imitation firearm, a 20% fall compared with the previous year (1,668 offences). Statistics about imitation firearms which have been seized by police forces are not recorded by the Home Office.

Existing legislation ensures that there are controls in place relating to imitation firearms. The Policing and Crime Act 2017 introduced a new offence to prevent the unlawful conversion of imitation firearms, and other controls include specifications on the manufacture of blank firing imitation firearms, and legislation to ensure that readily convertible imitation firearms must be held on a firearms certificate.

It is an offence to possess an imitation firearm with the intent to cause someone to fear that unlawful violence will be used against them or another person. Imitation firearms which are difficult to distinguish from real firearms are subject to specific controls. The Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 specifies that the size, shape and principal colour are to be taken into account in determining whether an imitation firearm is to be considered a realistic imitation firearm. There are a number of legitimate activities in relation to the possession of realistic imitation firearms, including for the purposes of historical re-enactment and airsoft skirmishing.

Firearms legislation and controls, including in relation to imitation firearms, are kept under review to ensure we have the right intelligence, detection and enforcement capabilities and policies in place to prevent the misuse of firearms.

Imitation firearms which do not fall under the definition for firearms in section 57(1) of the Firearms Act 1968 are covered by existing firearms controls.

Most recently, the Policing and Crime Act 2017 introduced a new offence to prevent the unlawful conversion of imitation firearms. Other controls include specifications on the manufacture of blank firing imitation firearms, and legislation to ensure that readily convertible imitation firearms must be held on a firearm certificate. Imitation firearms which are difficult to distinguish from real firearms are subject to specific controls, and it is an offence to possess an imitation firearm with the intent to cause someone to fear that unlawful violence will be used against them or another person.

We have no plans at present to review the existing legislation in respect of imitation firearms, but we keep firearms law under review and will not hesitate to act should the need arise.

Existing legislation ensures that there are controls in place relating to realistic imitation firearms. The Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 specifies that the size, shape and principal colour are to be taken into account in determining whether an imitation firearm is to be considered a realistic imitation firearm. There are a number of legitimate activities in relation to the possession of realistic imitation firearms, including for the purposes of historical re-enactment and airsoft skirmishing.

It is an offence under section 16A of the Firearms Act 1968 to possess an imitation firearm with the intent to cause someone to fear that unlawful violence will be used against them or another person.

The information requested is not held centrally by the Home Office. This information is held by the National Police Ballistics Intelligence Service.

The requested information is not collected centrally by the Home Office.

However, the National Ballistics Intelligence Service (NABIS) manage the NABIS database which holds data on replica firearms recovered by the police. NABIS is funded through an agreement by an ACPO subscription arrangement from the 43 police forces of England and Wales. Scotland contributes through the Association of Chief Police Officer for Scotland (ACPOS).

The NABIS database has been in operation since January 2008 and available data for police forces in England and Wales (excluding British Transport police) and Scotland are provided in table A.

Information on other types of replica weapons recovered by the police is not collected centrally.

I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Cabinet Office.

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

Letter from Glen Watson, dated November 2012:

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions.

The latest published National Statistics available are for 2010/11 and relate to the number of offences recorded by the police in England and Wales where a firearm was used. It is not known whether the same firearm was used in multiple offences.

The table below shows the number of incidents recorded by the police in England and Wales for each of the weapon types in question from 2006/07 to 2010/11. The published National Statistics include the category of 'imitation firearm' to cover replica weapons. This category includes weapons such as BB guns, soft air weapons which can fire small plastic pellets at low velocity, and deactivated firearms.

These data were previously published by the Home Office and are available on their website here:

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/crime-research/hosb0212/

Following the transfer of crime statistics from the Home Office, the ONS have taken on responsibility for the publication of these statistics, and the next publication covering data up to 2011/12 will be released in February 2013.

Separate data for Scotland are published by the Scottish Government and the latest figures, which relate to the 2010/11 year, can be found here:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Crime-Justice/PubFirearms

Information for Northern Ireland are held by the Police Service for Northern Ireland but are not routinely published as National Statistics.