Mandatory Firearms Licensing Training to Be Implemented Nationally

The policing minister has announced that new mandatory training for firearms licensing, a measure advocated following the Plymouth shooting, is scheduled for national implementation this month. This follows an incident in August 2021, when a gunman used his licensed shotgun to kill five individuals before taking his own life in the Keyham area. In correspondence addressed to the local Member of Parliament, Dame Diana Johnson stated that firearms licensing personnel across all police forces would commence mandatory training this month. The objective is to enhance the consistency and robustness of their decision-making processes. She also indicated that all individuals applying for a firearms licence are now required to submit pertinent medical information to the police alongside their application. This requirement will be facilitated by a new digital firearms marker integrated into medical records. Dame Diana explained that the forthcoming training aims to achieve “greater consistency across the police in delivering their firearms licensing responsibilities and to ensure that police checks on the suitability of firearms licence applicants and holders are as robust as they can be”. According to her, these digital markers are designed to notify General Practitioners about patients holding a firearms licence. This system will allow GPs to inform the police if a patient develops a relevant medical condition, thereby enabling police to evaluate the safety of the individual retaining access to firearms. The minister confirmed that the system’s operation would be monitored to verify its correct functioning. Furthermore, in the letter dispatched in September, she pledged to prioritize the government’s official response to the Home Office’s summer 2023 consultation regarding firearms reform. She stated it would be released “as soon as we are able to”, though she was unable to provide a specific timeline. The aforementioned consultation was initiated following recommendations put forth by Plymouth’s senior coroner and the Independent Office for Police Conduct. Luke Pollard, the Labour MP representing Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, commented: “I know the police minister understands the strength of feeling in our city and the commitment she has made is an important step forward, as is the additional police training she has brought in.” He added: “Since the Keyham tragedy, I have campaigned alongside the community here to reform Britain’s gun laws for the better so that a tragedy like this never happens again.”