Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to tighten restrictions on the sale of slingshots following reports of them being used to cause damage to vehicles and wildlife.

The Government is clear that slingshots should not be used for illegal purposes, whether against wildlife, people or property.

Under provisions in the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, The Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996 and Animal Welfare Act 2006, there are a range of offences around injuring and inflicting unnecessary suffering on wildlife. These measures give the police broad powers to deal with cases where wildlife is attacked, including cases involving the misuse of slingshots.

It is an offence to carry an offensive weapon in a public place without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, under provisions in the Prevention of Crime Act 1953. If a slingshot is carried in a public place with the intention of causing injury it is likely to engage the legislation. The maximum penalty for having an offensive weapon in a public place is 4 years imprisonment. Where a slingshot is misused as a weapon, and a person is injured, there are a number of offences which may apply, such as causing actual bodily harm, which carry significant sentences.

The Criminal Damage Act 1971 creates offences around destroying or damaging property and possessing anything with intent to destroy or damage property. The maximum penalty for offences under the Act is 10 years imprisonment.

Slingshots do however have legitimate uses, for example within competitions and fishing and at present we consider that existing legislation provides the correct balance between protecting the public from the small number of individuals who misuse slingshots, while also allowing the public to enjoy legitimate pastimes. We have no plans to ban the sale of slingshots or slingshot ammunition at this time.