Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with representatives of farming organisations on the potential impact of bringing Section 2 shotgun licensing more closely into line with Section 1 firearms licensing on rural communities.

The Government will undertake a consultation in due course on strengthening the controls on shotguns to bring them more into line with the controls on other firearms.

We will carefully consider the views put forward during the consultation before taking any decision on whether and what changes may be necessary in the interests of public safety. The Government will provide an assessment of the impact of any changes that we intend to bring forward, including on rural communities and businesses, at the relevant time.