Written questions by Dewhirst.

What information her Department holds on the firearms licensing departments that have taken a year or more to process applications for (a) grants and (b) renewals in each of the last five years.

The issuing of firearms certificates and the efficiency of police forces is a matter for individual Chief Constables, who are held to account by Police and Crime Commissioners.However, the performance of forces in this space is being actively monitored by the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s lead for firearms licensing, Deputy Chief Constable David Gardner, and both he and his predecessor have been working actively with forces on performance related issues.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) efficiency of the National Firearms Licensing Management System; and whether her Department plans to update the system.

We keep the effectiveness of the National Firearms Licensing Management System under review.The system was introduced in 2007 and we are now working with policing partners to consider options for updating it to provide police forces with enhanced functionality to improve the future efficiency of the firearms licensing function.

Whether she has had meetings with representatives of (a) police, (b) gun control groups, (c) British Shooting Sports Council and (d) British Association for Shooting and Conservation to discuss firearms licensing in England, Scotland and Wales.

Home Office Ministers and officials meet with representatives of the police, the shooting community, gun control groups and others from time to time and will continue to do so.This helps to ensure that all relevant views are taken into account in ensuring that our firearms controls are both proportionate and effective in keeping the public safe.

What information her Department holds on the number and proportion of GPs who have downloaded the IT update to allow the placement of markers on the medical notes of firearms certificate holders.

It is a requirement that all applicants for a firearms licence must provide relevant medical information to the police with their application, and this is supported by a new digital firearms marker which is placed on the patient/licence holder’s medical record by their GP.The marker alerts the GP to the fact that their patient is a firearms licence holder if they are being seen or treated for a medical condition that might impact on their safe possession or use of a firearm.The digital marker has been rolled out to all GP surgeries in England and GPs are asked to place the medical marker on the licence holder’s medical records when a certificate is either issued or renewed.The marker enables GPs to alert the police should their patient who is a firearms licence holder begin to suffer from a relevant medical condition and this ensures that the police can then assess whether it is safe for the individual to continue to have access to firearms.

If she will make it her policy to require General Practitioners to place a marker on the medical notes of firearms certificate holders.

It is a requirement that all applicants for a firearms licence must provide relevant medical information to the police with their application, and this is supported by a new digital firearms marker which is placed on the patient/licence holder’s medical record by their GP.The marker alerts the GP to the fact that their patient is a firearms licence holder if they are being seen or treated for a medical condition that might impact on their safe possession or use of a firearm.The digital marker has been rolled out to all GP surgeries in England and GPs are asked to place the medical marker on the licence holder’s medical records when a certificate is either issued or renewed.The marker enables GPs to alert the police should their patient who is a firearms licence holder begin to suffer from a relevant medical condition and this ensures that the police can then assess whether it is safe for the individual to continue to have access to firearms.

How many sound moderators are held on firearms certificates.

The Home Office collects and publishes information annually on the number of sound moderators.The latest available data is for the year ending 31 March 2024 and can be accessed at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/firearm-certificates-in-england-and-wales.As at 31 March 2024, 33% of the 624,245 firearms covered by a firearm certificate in England and Wales were sound moderators.

Pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2024 to Question 7022 on Home Office: Official Cars, how many of those vehicles are electric.

For security reasons specific details of allocations including make and model of vehicles are not issued.The arrangements relating to the usage of vehicles in the Government Car Service are set out in the Civil Service Management Code.

Pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2024 to Question 7022 on Home Office: Official Cars, if she will publish a list of senior officials with access to a government car.

For security reasons specific details of allocations including make and model of vehicles are not issued.The arrangements relating to the usage of vehicles in the Government Car Service are set out in the Civil Service Management Code.

What meetings (a) Ministers and (b) her officials have held with external stakeholders since 5 July 2024.

Details of ministers’ and senior officials’ meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.Data for the period of July to September 2024 will be published in due course.

What her Department's policy is on the allocation of Government Car Service cars to senior officials; what the policy was on 24 May 2024; and which senior officials have been granted access to the service since 4 July 2024.

The Government Car Service (GCS) offers vehicles to government departments as a shared resource. Each department independently determines the allocation of these vehicles to its ministerial cadre/officials, as under previous administrations, and the arrangements relating to the use of these vehicles is set out in the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code.The Home Office has been allocated three vehicles including allocated and shared vehicles. For security reasons specific details of allocations including make and model of vehicles are not issued. The average cost to a Department for a single DPC (Department Pool Car) in 2024/25 financial year is £108K per annum.There has been no change in this policy since the general election.

Pursuant to the Answers of 6 September 2024 to Questions 2306 and 2308 on Ministers: Official Cars, which (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department have (i) been allocated a dedicated vehicle and (ii) access to use of a shared vehicle from the Government Car Service; what the (A) make, (B) model and (C) fuel type is for each car; and what the budget was for those cars in the 2024-25 financial year.

The Government Car Service (GCS) offers vehicles to government departments as a shared resource. Each department independently determines the allocation of these vehicles to its ministerial cadre/officials, as under previous administrations, and the arrangements relating to the use of these vehicles is set out in the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code.The Home Office has been allocated three vehicles including allocated and shared vehicles. For security reasons specific details of allocations including make and model of vehicles are not issued. The average cost to a Department for a single DPC (Department Pool Car) in 2024/25 financial year is £108K per annum.There has been no change in this policy since the general election.