To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce a register of dealers for sales of airguns. [118055]

We do not believe that a register of dealers would of itself help in tackling the problems caused by the misuse of air weapons.Instead as part of the Anti-social Behaviour Bill, we are increasing from fourteen to seventeen the age at which a young person can own an air weapon and introducing further controls on unsupervised use. We are also introducing a new offence of having an air weapon in a public place without lawful authority or reasonable excuse.