The last Government decided, before publishing its consultation in 2023, to not to seek views on recommendations to align shotgun and firearms legislation. This decision was one the basis that shotguns are already subject to significant controls and have important uses in farming and leisure pursuits.
As of October 2025, the current Government says that intends to issue a new consultation on aligning the controls on shotguns with those on other firearms and plans to publish it later this year.
It is clearly important to uphold public safety. For this reason shotguns are already subject to strict controls. They play a key role in helping farmers control vermin on their land and are also used in various rural pursuits. Therefore, I believe that additional controls on shotguns are unnecessary and would negatively impact their legitimate use. This change in policy is yet another example of the Government failing to recognise the needs of rural communities.
I hope they listen carefully to rural communities during the consultation. This includes considering methods that may make the system more efficient, and ensure that the proposed restrictions do not place a significant burden on the many law-abiding shotgun owners in our society. I will be following this closely.
