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Written question asked by Mike Penning (Conservative) on Monday, 11 May 2020, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 13 May 2020. It was answered by Kit Malthouse (Conservative) on Tuesday, 19 May 2020 on behalf of the Home Office.

Firearms: Licensing

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information she holds on the proportion of firearms licensing applications for grant and renewal which require further inquiries into the medical health of applicants.

Answer

Firearms licensing is an operational matter for police forces. The police are not required to provide data to the Home Office about how the medical checks are conducted or the response from GPs. 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. As part of this process, GPs are asked to provide information about whether the applicant has suffered from a number of relevant medical conditions.

The Government has consulted on the introduction of new statutory firearms guidance to police, which includes proposals for revised medical arrangements to ensure that police have the medical information they require before the grant of a certificate. The consultation closed on 17 September and the Government will publish its response and the statutory guidance in due course.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
45048
Session
2019-21
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Applications Licensing Firearms Mental health Meetings
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk