Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of current firearms legislation in controlling the risk to the public from the legal ownership of firearms.

The firearms licensing system is kept under review to safeguard against abuse and to maintain public safety. We have taken forward a range of measures to strengthen the controls including:

- two new offences to tighten controls on deactivated firearms and imitation firearms in the Policing and Crime Act 2017;

- a consultation on defining antique firearms in statute, to provide legal
clarity and prevent them falling into criminal hands. Responses to the consultation are currently being considered;

- a consultation on proposals to prohibit two types of firearm of particular concern: large calibre rifles and certain rapid firing rifles. Responses to the consultation are currently being considered; and,

- we have commenced a review of the regulation of air weapons.

The Government will continue to keep firearms legislation under review to
ensure it remains effective in preventing misuse, while ensuring lawful owners can continue to use their firearms safely.