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.