Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will take steps to ensure that the offence of possession of a firearm in the context of violent retail crime results in an automatic custodial sentence.

The Government takes the possession of firearms extremely seriously and is determined to tackle the possession of illegal weapons.

Under the current law in England and Wales, anyone who possesses an illegal firearm can expect to face a custodial sentence. Those convicted of carrying a firearm in a public place, or possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, will face a minimum custodial sentence under the Firearms Act 1968: those aged 16 or 17 face a minimum of 3 years; those aged 18 or over face a minimum of 5 years.