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Written Question
Firearms: Licensing
Monday 24th March 2025

Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - North Cotswolds)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data on the performance of firearms licensing departments her Department has received in each of the last three years.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The issuing of firearms certificates and the efficiency of police forces is a matter for individual Chief Officers of Police and they are held to account by Police and Crime Commissioners.

However, the performance of forces is actively being monitored by the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for firearms licensing, Deputy Chief Constable David Gardner, and he is developing a new performance framework for firearms licensing teams, which it is intended will be published soon, to provide greater transparency on application turnaround times.


Written Question
Firearms: Licensing
Monday 10th March 2025

Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - North Cotswolds)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times the Home Office Firearms Fees Working Group met in 2022 and 2023; what conclusions it reached on firearms licensing fees; and if she will publish its report.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

On 5 February 2025, increased fees came into effect to provide full-cost recovery for firearms licensing applications processed by police forces. This gave effect to a commitment in the Government’s manifesto. The fees had not been increased since 2015 and they no longer met the cost of the service provided. It is essential for both public safety and police efficiency that the fees were increased to provide full-cost recovery so that service improvements can be made.

A review of firearms licensing fees was started in 2022 under the previous Government, and was informed by a Firearms Fees Working Group, chaired by the Home Office and including representation from the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, the Scottish Government, the Countryside Alliance and national representative shooting organisations.

The Working Group met in person on 7 April 2022 and again on 3 May 2023. There were also communications between Working Group members on the development of the fee proposals in this period in addition to the meetings. As part of the review, data was collected on firearms licensing costs in 31 police forces in January 2023, and this data was discussed by the Working Group. The previous Government reached no final conclusions before the General Election was called.

The new full-cost recovery fees introduced by this Government are based on the 2023 data, updated to reflect increases in costs since then. A full impact assessment, which shows how the data was used to calculate the fees, was published alongside the relevant statutory instrument.


Written Question
Firearms: Licensing
Tuesday 4th March 2025

Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - North Cotswolds)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department holds information on the proportion of general practitioners who place medical markers on the medical notes of patients who are firearms certificate holders.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Statutory Guidance for Chief Officers of Police on firearms licensing sets out clearly the different factors that police forces must consider when deciding whether someone is suitable to have a firearms licence. The Statutory Guidance requires that medical information is supplied by the applicant before a firearms licence can be granted by a police force.

The firearms licensing system is supported by the placing of a firearms marker by the GP on the medical records of those who hold a firearms licence. As part of the medical arrangements for firearms licensing, GPs are asked to place a marker on the medical records of those who hold a firearms licence and guidance is issued by the British Medical Association to support doctors in using the marker. The marker prompts the GP to alert the police if the licence holder begins to suffer from a relevant medical condition.

Since 2023, a digital firearms marker has been available to all GP surgeries in England to use with a person’s medical record and replaces the previous marker. The Home Office is working with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to put measures in place to monitor the use of the digital marker to ensure that it is operating as intended.


Written Question
Firearms: Licensing
Tuesday 4th March 2025

Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - North Cotswolds)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is her policy that firearms certificate holders should have a marker placed on their medical notes.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Statutory Guidance for Chief Officers of Police on firearms licensing sets out clearly the different factors that police forces must consider when deciding whether someone is suitable to have a firearms licence. The Statutory Guidance requires that medical information is supplied by the applicant before a firearms licence can be granted by a police force.

The firearms licensing system is supported by the placing of a firearms marker by the GP on the medical records of those who hold a firearms licence. As part of the medical arrangements for firearms licensing, GPs are asked to place a marker on the medical records of those who hold a firearms licence and guidance is issued by the British Medical Association to support doctors in using the marker. The marker prompts the GP to alert the police if the licence holder begins to suffer from a relevant medical condition.

Since 2023, a digital firearms marker has been available to all GP surgeries in England to use with a person’s medical record and replaces the previous marker. The Home Office is working with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to put measures in place to monitor the use of the digital marker to ensure that it is operating as intended.


Written Question
Firearms: Licensing
Tuesday 4th March 2025

Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - North Cotswolds)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason she is not making placing of a marker on the medical notes of firearms certificate holders mandatory for general practitioners.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Statutory Guidance for Chief Officers of Police on firearms licensing sets out clearly the different factors that police forces must consider when deciding whether someone is suitable to have a firearms licence. The Statutory Guidance requires that medical information is supplied by the applicant before a firearms licence can be granted by a police force.

The firearms licensing system is supported by the placing of a firearms marker by the GP on the medical records of those who hold a firearms licence. As part of the medical arrangements for firearms licensing, GPs are asked to place a marker on the medical records of those who hold a firearms licence and guidance is issued by the British Medical Association to support doctors in using the marker. The marker prompts the GP to alert the police if the licence holder begins to suffer from a relevant medical condition.

Since 2023, a digital firearms marker has been available to all GP surgeries in England to use with a person’s medical record and replaces the previous marker. The Home Office is working with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to put measures in place to monitor the use of the digital marker to ensure that it is operating as intended.


Written Question
Firearms: Licensing
Monday 10th February 2025

Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - North Cotswolds)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has used powers under section 44 of the Police Act 1996 to require Chief Constables to provide information on the time taken by firearms licensing departments to process (a) grants and (b) renewals for (i) shotguns and (ii) section 1 firearms.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The issuing of firearms certificates and the efficiency of police forces is a matter for individual Chief Constables, who are held to account by Police and Crime Commissioners.

However, the performance of forces in this space is being actively monitored by the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s lead for firearms licensing, Deputy Chief Constable David Gardner, and both he and his predecessor have been working actively with forces on performance related issues.


Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 10 Mar 2022
Refugees from Ukraine

"I was first on Tuesday and last on Thursday—it seems perfectly fair. I welcome what my right hon. Friend has done today with the new flexibilities, listening to what people have said up and down the country. Will she look at every practicality to speed up this system? Ukraine was …..."
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown - View Speech

View all Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Con - North Cotswolds) contributions to the debate on: Refugees from Ukraine

Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 08 Mar 2022
Ukraine: Urgent Refugee Applications

"(Urgent Question): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make a statement on how her Department can speed up the urgent refugee applications coming from those leaving Ukraine...."
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown - View Speech

View all Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Con - North Cotswolds) contributions to the debate on: Ukraine: Urgent Refugee Applications

Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 08 Mar 2022
Ukraine: Urgent Refugee Applications

"I thank my hon. Friend for that comprehensive answer. It is very impressive that the Prime Minister and this Government have taken such a world-leading role, uniting the west in imposing one of the toughest sanctions regimes and providing military support for Ukraine.

However, the UK has always been generous …..."

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown - View Speech

View all Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Con - North Cotswolds) contributions to the debate on: Ukraine: Urgent Refugee Applications

Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 01 Mar 2022
Ukraine

"Following on from the question of the hon. Member for Sheffield South East (Mr Betts), can my right hon. Friend say a little more? I accept that it is not her direct responsibility, but he asked about the cross-Government effort to ensure that refugees coming into this country are given …..."
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown - View Speech

View all Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Con - North Cotswolds) contributions to the debate on: Ukraine