John Milne

John Milne

Liberal Democrat — Horsham

Speaking in the House of Commons on 23 February 2026

Debate

Firearms Licensing

Contribution

I thank my hon. Friend for his suggestion. I am a big game meat fan, so I am certainly ready for that. Moving to a centralised, fully digitised licensing body akin to the DVLA or the DBS, with real-time verification at the point of sale, would directly address weaknesses, improve consistency, reduce fraud and allow police forces to focus on law enforcement rather than administrative licensing functions. If we are serious about safety, that is where our attention should go. The wrong kind of reform could damage viable farm businesses and undermine food production for no clear benefit. I urge the Government to listen carefully to rural communities, licensing professionals and the evidence. Let us modernise licensing and strengthen the medical safeguards. As a result, we will improve public safety while supporting this valuable industry and community.

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