Asked by: Earl of Shrewsbury (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the average time taken for (1) all, and (2) individual, police forces in England and Wales to process (a) applications for, and (b) renewals of (i) shotgun, and (ii) firearms, certificates.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The issuing of firearms certificates and the efficiency of police forces is a matter for individual Chief Officers of Police and they are held to account by Police and Crime Commissioners. However, the performance of forces is being actively monitored by the National Police Chiefs' Council's lead for firearms licensing, Deputy Chief Constable David Gardner, who is developing a new performance framework for firearms licensing teams, which it is planned to be published to provide greater transparency on application turnaround times. This will include a performance target for forces to complete applications for the grant or renewal of firearm and shotgun certificates within four months, unless there are concerns about the suitability of the applicant.
Asked by: Earl of Shrewsbury (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a Temporary Shotgun Licence, issued as a result of delays in processing shotgun licence renewal applications, permits the holder to purchase shotgun ammunition.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
If a shotgun certificate due for renewal is automatically extended for up to eight weeks, then the certificate holder can continue to buy ammunition. Such an automatic extension is a temporary measure that can be used by police forces to help manage delays in processing renewal applications when a certificate is soon to expire. However, if a permit under section 7 of the Firearms Act 1968 is issued by the police force instead, new ammunition cannot be purchased.
The processing of firearms and shotgun licences remains an operational matter for chief officers of police. The time taken by police forces to process firearms and shotgun licence applications will vary depending on factors such as local circumstances and the details of each application. Most recently, the Covid 19 pandemic has an impact on the time taken by police forces to process applications as the provision of relevant medical information by General Practitioners (GPs) has been delayed because of temporary measures taken by GPs to prioritise the vaccine booster programme over the Christmas and New Year period.
Asked by: Earl of Shrewsbury (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) delays in processing applications for the granting or renewal of shotgun and firearms licences and certificates in each constabulary, and (2) the reasons for any such delays.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
If a shotgun certificate due for renewal is automatically extended for up to eight weeks, then the certificate holder can continue to buy ammunition. Such an automatic extension is a temporary measure that can be used by police forces to help manage delays in processing renewal applications when a certificate is soon to expire. However, if a permit under section 7 of the Firearms Act 1968 is issued by the police force instead, new ammunition cannot be purchased.
The processing of firearms and shotgun licences remains an operational matter for chief officers of police. The time taken by police forces to process firearms and shotgun licence applications will vary depending on factors such as local circumstances and the details of each application. Most recently, the Covid 19 pandemic has an impact on the time taken by police forces to process applications as the provision of relevant medical information by General Practitioners (GPs) has been delayed because of temporary measures taken by GPs to prioritise the vaccine booster programme over the Christmas and New Year period.
Asked by: Earl of Shrewsbury (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government at which meetings held by Ministers and officials with representatives of the British Medical Association since May 2016 the subject of medical involvement in firearms licensing was discussed.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
Home Office Ministers and officials have regular meetings with stakeholders as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings. But I can confirm that we have discussed the involvement of medical professionals in firearms licensing procedures with representatives of the medical profession, including the British Medical Association, and we will continue to do so, as appropriate.
Asked by: Earl of Shrewsbury (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people were prosecuted for making a false declaration about a medical condition on applications for grant renewal of (1) shotgun, and (2) firearms, certificates in the most recent three years for which records are available.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
Statistics relating to prosecutions for making a false statement in order to procure the grant or renewal of a firearm or shotgun certificate are available within the publication: Principal offence proceedings and outcomes by Home Office offence code data tool. The relevant offence codes are 11559 and 11560. In summary, the figures for the last three years show that in 2019 there were 14 prosecutions and 8 convictions; in 2018 there were 2 prosecutions and 0 convictions; and in 2017 there were 15 prosecutions and 5 convictions.
Data relating to prosecutions specifically in relation to a false declaration relating to medical conditions is not available centrally.
Firearms licensing is an operational matter for police forces. 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, prior to the issuing of the firearm or shotgun certificate by the police
Asked by: Earl of Shrewsbury (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many general practitioners in the last three years for which records are available have placed markers on the medical notes of shotgun and firearm certificate-holders in compliance with Home Office guidance.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
The Government does not require general practitioners to report on whether and how they place a marker on the medical records of shotgun or firearm certificate holders. However, the Government is supportive of the use of these markers as a means of helping to ensure firearms licences are held safely.
The Home Office is actively working with the medical profession and the Department of Health and Social Care to see what more can be done to promote the effective and consistent use of medical markers.
Asked by: Earl of Shrewsbury (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the decision of Derbyshire Constabulary to introduce a new process for all firearm and shotgun applications, including renewals, which requires applicants to provide, and pay for, medical information verified by a GP; what discussions they have had with that Constabulary about the compliance of that process with Home Office Guidance; and what assessment they have made of the impact of that process on the workload of frontline medical practitioners and the NHS during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
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 provided normally by the applicant’s GP.
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.
The Government recognises that firearms licensing arrangements, including the medical aspects, will be affected by the measures that have been put in place in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Police forces may need to adopt a flexible approach to meet local need and risk in the current exceptional circumstances and there may be some impact on firearms licensing arrangements. The Government will continue to have discussions with the police to keep firearms licensing under review over the coming weeks and months, but the Government’s priority is to continue to encourage people to stay at home and to protect the NHS.
Asked by: Earl of Shrewsbury (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Earl Howe on 4 March (HL Deb, col 490) that they would launch a consultation on the licensing of firearms and issues relating to medical records by the summer recess, whether they are on track to meet that commitment; and if not, when they intend to begin that consultation.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
The Government intends to launch a consultation on statutory guidance to the police on their firearms licensing functions, including the arrangements for the provision of medical information, very shortly.
Asked by: Earl of Shrewsbury (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Chief Constables in England and Wales must be in receipt of a medical report for a firearms licence applicant prior to granting or renewing a firearms licence.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
In accordance with arrangements introduced in 2016, relevant medical information is requested from the GPs of those who apply for a firearms licence before the licence is issued. Police forces must be satisfied that a person does not pose a danger to public safety before granting or renewing a firearm licence and they may require sight of medical information before proceeding to issue the licence.
The Government does not collect statistics on the participation of GPs in the firearms licensing process, placing of the encoded reminder, or the level of any fee that GPs may charge their patients for providing medical information to the police. However, we do understand from information from informal reports from police forces and firearms licence applicants that participation rates amongst GPs and the fees that they charge are variable. We have been in discussions with the police, medical bodies and shooting representatives about improving the arrangements for providing medical evidence and how greater consistency can be achieved.
The Policing and Crime Act 2017 introduced a power to enable the Secretary of State to issue statutory guidance to the police on their firearms licensing functions, which include the medical arrangements. Before issuing the statutory guidance, the Secretary of State must consult the National Police Chief’s Council and the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Scotland, and we will also consult publicly on the guidance before it is published. Once issued, the police will be required to have regard to this guidance, and this will therefore help to ensure greater consistency in practice across the country. The Government intends to launch the consultation on the statutory guidance before the summer recess.
Asked by: Earl of Shrewsbury (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) number of GPs who have refused to provide medical information to support a firearms licence application, and (2) reasons for such refusals.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
In accordance with arrangements introduced in 2016, relevant medical information is requested from the GPs of those who apply for a firearms licence before the licence is issued. Police forces must be satisfied that a person does not pose a danger to public safety before granting or renewing a firearm licence and they may require sight of medical information before proceeding to issue the licence.
The Government does not collect statistics on the participation of GPs in the firearms licensing process, placing of the encoded reminder, or the level of any fee that GPs may charge their patients for providing medical information to the police. However, we do understand from information from informal reports from police forces and firearms licence applicants that participation rates amongst GPs and the fees that they charge are variable. We have been in discussions with the police, medical bodies and shooting representatives about improving the arrangements for providing medical evidence and how greater consistency can be achieved.
The Policing and Crime Act 2017 introduced a power to enable the Secretary of State to issue statutory guidance to the police on their firearms licensing functions, which include the medical arrangements. Before issuing the statutory guidance, the Secretary of State must consult the National Police Chief’s Council and the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Scotland, and we will also consult publicly on the guidance before it is published. Once issued, the police will be required to have regard to this guidance, and this will therefore help to ensure greater consistency in practice across the country. The Government intends to launch the consultation on the statutory guidance before the summer recess.