Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the number of shotgun and firearms certificates that have been granted where the applicant's doctor has not participated in the licensing process in the last three years.

In accordance with arrangements introduced in 2016, the police write to the GPs of those who apply for a firearms licence to seek relevant information regarding the applicant’s health before the licence is issued. We do not collect statistics on the number of certificates that have been granted without the applicant’s GP having participated in the process. However, reports from police forces and firearms licence applicants indicate that the participation rates amongst GPs are variable. We have been in discussions with the police, medical bodies and shooting representatives about how greater consistency can be achieved.