Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether a review of firearms licensing medical procedures is being undertaken as part of her Department's work to introduce statutory guidance under section 55A of the Firearms Act 1968.

We have been in discussions with the police, medical representatives and shooting organisations about the medical arrangements for firearms licensing and how to achieve greater consistency across England and Wales. The process, which was introduced in 2016, is voluntary and we know that there is currently variation in how GPs respond to the police request for information.

The statutory guidance to the police will apply to firearms licensing functions, including medical arrangements, and the police will be required to have regard to this guidance. We intend to consult on the statutory guidance before it is finalised.