Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help reduce crimes against (a) endangered species and (b) other wildlife.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Wildlife crime can have devastating consequences for our natural environments and countryside communities. This Government is committed to reducing crime, including in rural areas, and anyone exploiting or deliberately harming British wildlife should face the full force of the law.
This financial year, we are continuing to fund the National Wildlife Crime Unit who provide intelligence, analysis and investigative assistance to forces and other law enforcement agencies across the UK to support them in investigating wildlife crime.
They are also the UK policing focal point for EUROPOL and INTERPOL wildlife crime activity, tackling the illegal trade of endangered species.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of arrests that have been made following police use of facial recognition technology.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not hold data on the number of arrests made following the police’s use of facial recognition technology. The department is, however, funding national evaluation to understand the impact of facial recognition on police and crime outcomes, and its relationship to public trust and confidence.
Where police forces are using live facial recognition technology, the number of arrests made following each deployment are published on their respective websites.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to allow legitimate cyber activity (a) necessary for the (i) detection and (ii) prevention of crime and (b) justified as being in the public interest.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Government is conducting an ongoing review of the Computer Misuse Act. As part of the review, we are scoping several proposals to update the act, including how we can better support legitimate cybersecurity researchers so they can operate within a clear and supportive legal framework, while maintaining robust safeguards against misuse.
Engagement, including with the cyber security industry, is underway to refine the approach and an update will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of creating a single firearms licensing authority for England and Wales.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government has no plans to introduce a single firearms licensing authority. The Firearms Act 1968 places statutory responsibility for firearms licensing on the Chief Officer of Police of each individual force in England, Wales and Scotland. This framework is supported by Statutory Guidance to Chief Officers of Police issued by the Home Secretary in respect of firearms licensing, and by Authorised Professional Practice issued by the College of Policing.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to protect consumers against fraudulent investment opportunities presented online through the use of deepfakes.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Under the Online Safety Act, online platforms are required to take proactive measures to stop fraudulent content appearing on their platforms. This includes fraudulent investments using deepfakes.
The government’s ‘Stop! Think Fraud’ campaign provides practical information on how to spot fake online adverts, including deepfake celebrity investment endorsements, and advice on how to report these scams if individuals fall victim.
The Government will shortly publish a new Fraud Strategy, as set out in our manifesto, which will set out how we will work with law enforcement, industry and others to go further in protecting the public from all fraud, including AI enabled fraud.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Law Commission report entitled Firearms Law: Reforms to Address Pressing Problems, published on 16 December 2015, whether she plans to implement the recommendation on codifying the law on firearms.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government has no plans at present to codify existing firearms legislation but we keep the law in this area under review to ensure we maintain strong controls on firearms.
The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February this year, included a commitment to having a consultation specifically on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns in the interests of public safety which we intend to publish shortly.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of the average cost to the public purse of processing an application to renew a shotgun licence.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
On 5 February 2025, increased fees came into effect for firearms licensing applications processed by police forces. This gave effect to a commitment in the Government’s manifesto.
A full impact assessment was published alongside the Firearms (Variation of Fees) Order 2025, the Statutory Instrument that brought the new fees into effect.
The impact assessment provides details of the costs associated with both initial grant and renewal of firearms licensing certificates. Any future changes to firearms licensing will be subject to further impact assessments in the normal way. The link to the impact assessment is available here Changes to firearms licensing fees - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with (a) the Scottish Government and (b) Police Scotland on (i) data sharing of legally held firearms and (ii) the names of the people licenced to own them.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes data on the number of firearms held, including shotguns, by the type of firearms certificate held. This data does not provide a specific breakdown on the type of shotgun. The latest data can be found in the table 13 via the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/684aa6f1a3c112ee2996ff1e/firearm-shotgun-certificates-2024-2025-tables.ods
The Firearms Act 1968 enables a Registered Firearms Dealer (RFD) to purchase and sell firearms provided that accurate records are maintained, and all firearms are properly accounted for, including those which have been transferred to the dealer by certificate holders. Private sales can also be arranged through an RFD by the owner if he or she wishes. However, the issue of private sales is an important one. The Government keeps all controls on firearms under constant review to safeguard the public against the misuse of licensed firearms.
The non-statutory Guide on Firearms Licensing Law, last issued in November 2022, is currently in the process of being updated and a revised version will be issued in due course. However, a new version of the Statutory Guidance on firearms licensing to Chief Officers of Police was issued on 5 August 2025, and this sets out the criteria that must be applied when police forces are considering firearms applications and is intended to strengthen the assessment of those who hold, or who apply for, both shotgun and firearms licences. The Statutory Guidance is helping to ensure consistency in decision making across all police forces.
The Home Office has regular discussions with the Scottish Government and Police Scotland on firearms licensing matters through the Firearms Licensing Enforcement Board (FLEB) which is chaired by the Home Office. Sharing of firearms licensing data for operational reasons, and where there is a lawful basis for doing so, can already take place between forces in England and Wales and Police Scotland.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring the involvement of registered firearms dealers in all (a) sales and (b) purchases of private firearms.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes data on the number of firearms held, including shotguns, by the type of firearms certificate held. This data does not provide a specific breakdown on the type of shotgun. The latest data can be found in the table 13 via the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/684aa6f1a3c112ee2996ff1e/firearm-shotgun-certificates-2024-2025-tables.ods
The Firearms Act 1968 enables a Registered Firearms Dealer (RFD) to purchase and sell firearms provided that accurate records are maintained, and all firearms are properly accounted for, including those which have been transferred to the dealer by certificate holders. Private sales can also be arranged through an RFD by the owner if he or she wishes. However, the issue of private sales is an important one. The Government keeps all controls on firearms under constant review to safeguard the public against the misuse of licensed firearms.
The non-statutory Guide on Firearms Licensing Law, last issued in November 2022, is currently in the process of being updated and a revised version will be issued in due course. However, a new version of the Statutory Guidance on firearms licensing to Chief Officers of Police was issued on 5 August 2025, and this sets out the criteria that must be applied when police forces are considering firearms applications and is intended to strengthen the assessment of those who hold, or who apply for, both shotgun and firearms licences. The Statutory Guidance is helping to ensure consistency in decision making across all police forces.
The Home Office has regular discussions with the Scottish Government and Police Scotland on firearms licensing matters through the Firearms Licensing Enforcement Board (FLEB) which is chaired by the Home Office. Sharing of firearms licensing data for operational reasons, and where there is a lawful basis for doing so, can already take place between forces in England and Wales and Police Scotland.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people are in possession of a (a) double barrel, (b) pump action and (c) multi-shot shotgun in England.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes data on the number of firearms held, including shotguns, by the type of firearms certificate held. This data does not provide a specific breakdown on the type of shotgun. The latest data can be found in the table 13 via the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/684aa6f1a3c112ee2996ff1e/firearm-shotgun-certificates-2024-2025-tables.ods
The Firearms Act 1968 enables a Registered Firearms Dealer (RFD) to purchase and sell firearms provided that accurate records are maintained, and all firearms are properly accounted for, including those which have been transferred to the dealer by certificate holders. Private sales can also be arranged through an RFD by the owner if he or she wishes. However, the issue of private sales is an important one. The Government keeps all controls on firearms under constant review to safeguard the public against the misuse of licensed firearms.
The non-statutory Guide on Firearms Licensing Law, last issued in November 2022, is currently in the process of being updated and a revised version will be issued in due course. However, a new version of the Statutory Guidance on firearms licensing to Chief Officers of Police was issued on 5 August 2025, and this sets out the criteria that must be applied when police forces are considering firearms applications and is intended to strengthen the assessment of those who hold, or who apply for, both shotgun and firearms licences. The Statutory Guidance is helping to ensure consistency in decision making across all police forces.
The Home Office has regular discussions with the Scottish Government and Police Scotland on firearms licensing matters through the Firearms Licensing Enforcement Board (FLEB) which is chaired by the Home Office. Sharing of firearms licensing data for operational reasons, and where there is a lawful basis for doing so, can already take place between forces in England and Wales and Police Scotland.