Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will raise the issue of transport of assault rifles and semi-automatic machine guns into and across the EU at the next Home Affairs European Council; and whether she has raised the issue with Europol.

It is vital that we tackle the threat from automatic and high powered semi-automatic firearms, including their movement across Europe. My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Home Secretary, attended an extraordinary meeting of the European Justice and Home Affairs Council on Friday, where she pressed for greater action on this issue. Since the terrorist attacks in Paris in January, the Home Secretary has consistently intervened at meetings of the Justice and Home Affairs Council urging EU partners to take prompt and effective action to reduce the threat from illegal firearms. My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Immigration Minister (James Brokenshire), has also highlighted the importance of action on firearms to Europol.