Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward further regulation of the sale of (a) crossbows and (b) crossbow arrow heads.

We are actively considering the introduction of further controls around crossbows and broadhead arrows. This follows a call for evidence on strengthening controls on crossbows on public safety grounds which ran from 14 February to 9 April 2024.

It tested ideas for whether there should be some form of licensing regime that would provide further controls on the use, ownership and supply of crossbows as well as whether there should be a prohibition on broadhead arrows. The responses have been reviewed and we will publish the Government’s response to the call for evidence, which will include what action we intend to take alongside a summary of the responses received, shortly.