Tougher gun rules may make farmer licences harder to get

A police watchdog has called for a shakeup of gun laws which would require farmers seeking a licence to supply a GP’s report which confirms their mental health status.

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) has highlighted the current regime as “inconsistent and inadequate” and said it is putting the public at risk.

There is a particular concern that the system in place to check people’s medical suitability to hold a licence – including their mental health – is not as rigorous as checks used for prospective bus drivers.

See also: Farmers face tougher gun laws, warns alliance

Currently applicants are asked on the form if they have ever received treatment for depression or any other mental health condition.

They also have to give the police permission to contact their GP to obtain factual details of any medical history.

However, doctors are under no obligation to supply the information and in practice it is understood that some forces do not even contact them until after they have granted the licence anyway.   

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HMIC said it had carried out an investigation into firearms licensing in police forces across 43 forces in England and Wales, as well as looking in detail at 11 representative forces.

HM Inspector of Constabulary Stephen Otter who led the investigation said: “We found that, too often, forces are not following the Home Office guidance that is in place, sometimes inexcusably compromising public safety.

“Unless things change, we run the risk of further tragedies occurring”
Stephen Otter, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary

“Lessons from past tragedies have not always been learned and this fails the victims of those events, including their families, unacceptably.

“Unless things change, we run the risk of further tragedies occurring.”

HMIC is calling for the establishment of a clear set of rules which chief constables would be obliged to follow.

The report recommends that the Home Office should ensure that licensing does not take place without a current medical report from the applicant’s GP, and that the police are notified of any relevant changes of medical circumstances.

The investigation also found that some forces were failing to take up references supplied by applicants and many were not making home visits, particularly for the renewal of a shotgun certificates.

“Clearer and more authoritative guidance must be put in place to properly protect the public.

“This includes definitive guidance on contacting referees and on the police’s obligations around visiting prospective and current licence holders to inspect how the firearms and ammunition are stored.”