Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a requirement that air rifles should be kept in a locked cabinet; and if she will make a statement.

The Government keeps the legislation relating to air weapons in England and Wales under review. High-powered air weapons require a firearms licence and low-powered air weapons are already subject to a range of controls, such as the requirement that owners take reasonable precautions to prevent young people from gaining unauthorised access to air weapons. Guidance is published on the safe use and storage of air weapons and this can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/117804/air-weapons-safety-leaflet.pdf