The number of people killed or injured by firearms in Scotland has risen by a quarter in the past year, prompting fresh calls for Holyrood to be given more powers over gun control.
Figures published yesterday by the Scottish Government revealed that 247 firearms incidents resulted in death or injury in 2006-07, compared to 197 the year before.
One-third of casualties were children and more than half of the incidents involved airguns, which ministers want to make harder to obtain.
Overall, Scottish police recorded 1245 firearms offences in 2006-07, 17% more than the previous year's total and the highest number in the past decade.
Kenny MacAskill, the Justice Secretary, has already held talks with UK Justice Minister Jack Straw over the possibility of the Scottish Government being given the power to legislate on firearms issues.
However, Westminster has so far given no indication that it is prepared to devolve further powers to Holyrood.
Mr MacAskill yesterday said it was clear that current gun control measures do not go far enough. "We fully supported previous reforms brought in by the UK parliament, including the recent tightening of air weapon sales," he said. "But no responsible government can look at these figures and say the job is done.
"While knife crime remains much more prevalent in Scotland, we must not and will not allow gun crime to get a grip on any of our communities."
In its pre-election manifesto, the SNP said it would introduce a licensing scheme covering the sale, purchase and use of airguns.
Mr MacAskill said a new firearms act was essential to replace the "piecemeal, complex and convoluted legislation" which is in place.
"We need a robust regime - more straightforward for legitimate users to comply with and more efficient for the police to administer and enforce," he said.
"Above all, there needs to be a much greater focus on public safety."
Yesterday's figures showed guns killed eight people last year, the same death toll as in each of the previous two years.
However, the number of people injured went up by 26% from 189 to 239.
The Strathclyde police force area accounted for most of the country's firearms offences - 691, or 56% of the total.
Bill Aitken, the Scottish Tories' justice spokesman, said the rise in firearms offences showed the SNP must make good on its promise to appoint 1000 more police officers.
He said: "The rise in injuries caused by firearms is a sad indictment of the way our society is headed and yet more evidence that we need a fresh approach to tackling crime in Scotland.
"It is further proof that we need the 1000 extra police officers we were promised by the minority government.
"It is further proof that we need to put an end to the scandal of automatic early release. And it is further proof that we need to launch the biggest assault on crime and drugs ever seen in Scotland, which is what we pledged at the last election."
Yesterday's figures also revealed that the police were solving more crimes involving guns. In 2006-7, 57 % of all firearms offences were cleared up, compared to 43% 2005-6, the highest clear-up rate in the past 10 years.
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