Firearms: Licensing

(asked on 11th May 2020) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the range of charges levied by GPs for completing verification forms for the purposes of firearms licensing.


Answered by
Kit Malthouse Portrait
Kit Malthouse
This question was answered on 19th May 2020

The police are responsible for assessing the suitability of those who apply for the grant or renewal of a firearm or shotgun certificate. The police carry out a number of checks to ensure that those in possession of firearms do not pose a danger to public safety, including in relation to medical suitability based on information from the applicant’s GP.

The Government has consulted on the introduction of new statutory firearms guidance to police to bring greater consistency to licensing practice across the country. This includes proposals for revised medical arrangements to ensure that police have the medical information they require before the grant of a certificate.

An impact assessment on the proposed medical arrangements was published alongside the consultation document. This made reference to a range of fees being charged by some GPs to provide the medical information. The consultation closed on 17 September and the Government will publish its response and the statutory guidance in due course.

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