The independent police inspectorate, HMICFRS,
previously found there was inconsistent police
licensing practice across the country and that medical
information was not being shared for firearms
applications, creating a potential safety risk.
The draft statutory guidance, which includes the
requirement for police to check medical records, will
bring more clarity to the process, with the aim of
ensuring licences are only issued to suitable
applicants.
The department has drafted the guidance following
discussions with the police, GPs and shooting
organisations, who agreed that greater consistency was
needed. It is now seeking further feedback on the draft
guidance.
The Home Office has also signed an agreement with the
British Medical Association (BMA) which the department
hopes will improve cooperation between the police and
GPs.
, Minister for Policing
and the Fire Service, said:
We have some of the toughest firearms controls in the
world and we must do everything we can to ensure it
stays this way.
We need to bring greater consistency to how firearms
licences are issued and I am confident that the
police, GPs and shooting groups agree. We have
listened to their concerns and are proposing a way
forward that tightens up the system without creating
unreasonable demands.
The bottom line is public safety. Firearms must only
be in the hands of the most safe and responsible
people. This is not something we are prepared to
compromise on.
The Memorandum of Understanding with the BMA marks a
new commitment to safeguard doctors involved in the
firearms application and monitoring system. This will
allow them to work with the police to strengthen the
system for assessing the heath information of firearms
applicants.
It addresses the long-held concerns of GPs around
liability, making it clear that the legal
responsibility for judging whether someone is suitable
to possess a firearm or shotgun certificate rests
solely with the police.
GPs are asked to provide information about whether
firearms applicants have a history of relevant mental
or physical conditions which could affect their safe
possession of guns. They are also asked to put a
firearms flags on patient records so that police can be
alerted if a person develops a relevant medical
condition after their licence has been issued.
The Home Office has worked with the medical profession
to encourage doctors’ use of the firearms flagging
system. Alongside the Department of Health and Social
Care, the Home Office is looking into how this system
can be supported by a national IT system to make the
use of these flags more widespread.
