The Government has published its response to the 2023 public consultation on firearms licensing controls, outlining new planned measures to enhance public safety. The consultation, initiated by the previous Government, sought views on recommendations made following the tragic shootings in Keyham, Plymouth (2021) and the Isle of Skye (2022), as well as recommendations from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and the Scottish Affairs Select Committee.

Key measures announced include:

• New Powers for Immediate Seizure: Police will be granted powers to immediately seize firearms, shotguns, and ammunition without a warrant in cases where there is a risk to public safety and the certificate holder refuses to cooperate. 

We (as well as the wider shooting community) have expressed deep concerns about these proposed measures, which are not comparative to the requirement for a warrant to search for illegal firearms in the homes of dangerous criminals.

• Referee Requirements: Applicants for shotgun certificates will now need to provide two referees, similar to the existing requirement for firearm certificate

• Household Involvement: New guidance will also be introduced to ensure greater involvement of household members and others in suitability checks for firearm and shotgun applicants. (We have already seen this being introduced in some constabularies). 

The consultation, which ran from June to August 2023, received over 91,000 responses from a wide range of stakeholders, including law enforcement, the shooting community, medical professionals, and victims’ families. Unfortunately, the views expressed in the public consultation seem to have been, for the large part, ignored.

The Government’s plan reflects their aim to strengthen public safety and the UKPSA reiterate our commitment to the safe ownership of Firearms. Our members accept continuous scrutiny of our personal lives to assist the police in identifying certificate holders whose actions and behaviours cause concern.  We agree that good legislation, fairly and professionally implemented by the police, is essential for maintaining goodwill for such levels of scrutiny.

Other notable outcomes include (and some of these we have already seen as implemented):

Firearms Licensing Fees: Increased fees, introduced in February 2025, will ensure full cost recovery for police forces, addressing concerns about under-resourced licensing departments.

Training for Licensing Officers: Mandatory, accredited national training for police firearms licensing personnel is being rolled out to improve consistency and robustness in suitability checks

Digital Medical Marker: A digital marker on GP records will help ensure that relevant medical information is shared with police, though the Government has decided against making GP involvement mandatory at this stage.

The Government also confirmed that a new consultation on aligning shotgun controls with other firearms will be launched later this year, following feedback from the 2023 consultation. There are over half a million FAC holders in the UK, how many will respond to this consultation?

For further details, the full Government response document is available here (LINK)

Recommended changes to firearms licensing: government response (accessible) www.gov.uk

We will continue to engage with Police forces and the Home Office on these changes. 

DVC, Kevin Strowger, Regional Director