Government taking action necessary on firearms licensing, minister tells MPs

The UK Government will work with Holyrood ministers “as appropriate” in order to strengthen firearms licensing, policing minister Chris Philp has pledged.

With MPs on the Commons Scottish Affairs Committee having already recommended changes be made to the system, Mr Philp said ministers are consulting on the issue.

He said he hopes this “provides assurance that we are taking the action necessary, in collaboration with the Scottish Government as appropriate, to strengthen firearms licensing controls”.

Members of the committee had examined the situation following a shooting on the Isle of Skye in August 2022.

Recommendations for change were also made following a shooting in Keyham, Plymouth, in 2021, where the gunman killed five people, including his mother, and injured two others before turning his weapon on himself.

Committee chairman Pete Wishart said MPs are pleased the UK Government is “taking forward many of our recommendations and will be consulting on further action”.

He added: “Firearms incidents can have terrible, heartbreaking effects on individuals, families and communities.

“At the end of last year, we produced a report with a series of recommendations aimed at improving the licensing of firearms, to minimise the occurrence of these awful tragedies and we’d encourage affected communities to feed thoughts into the Government’s consultation.”

The committee recommended introducing a two-tier system for firearms licensing, where those seeking a licence for sport or leisure purposes would pay the cost of applications in full, with no financial cost to either the police or taxpayer.

A second tier of licence, with a reduced fee, would be applied for those who need firearms for work, the MPs suggested.

Mr Philp confirmed the UK Government “will consider this recommendation further when we consult, later this summer, on new fees for firearms licensing”.

He added the Government had noted the recommendation for a new reporting service to be established, so members of the public can raise concerns they may have about someone with a firearms certificate.

The Government is now “seeking views on this”, the policing minister said, including “whether a specific phoneline should be introduced, how this might be funded, or whether the existing services offer a better way to achieve the purpose”.

The Home Office is also to contact both the UK Department of Health and the Scottish Government on how a recommendation from the committee for the involvement of GPs to be mandatory in the licensing process could be taken forward.

Mr Philp continued: “On the recommendation that the UK Government and Scottish Government work together to investigate the merits of medical practitioners and police conducting interim checks on firearms licence holders, you will see that we are seeking views on this in the consultation paper.”

Mr Wishart thanked the Government for its “considered response”, and said the committee will be “following progress in this area closely”.