Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposals to merge Section 1 and Section 2 firearms licensing on (a) employment and (b) economic activity in rural communities, including impacts on shooting-related businesses and supply chains; and whether her Department has produced an impact assessment or cost-benefit analysis of those proposals.

The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February 2025, included a commitment to having a public consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns to bring them more into line with the controls on other firearms in the interests of public safety. We intend to publish this consultation shortly.

No decisions have yet been made on whether and what changes might be necessary. Our approach will be informed by the public consultation, and we will consider the views put forward before deciding on what further action to take. We will then provide an assessment of the impact of any changes that the Government intends to bring forward.