Government petition opposing the merger of Section 1 firearm and Section 2 shotgun licensing has passed 57,000 signatures at the time of print, highlighting growing concern within the shooting community over proposed regulatory changes.
The petition, titled Do not merge Section 1 and Section 2 regulations on firearms licences, calls on Parliament to retain the current separate licensing framework. Supporters argue that merging the two systems would increase bureaucracy, costs and delays for law-abiding certificate holders without delivering measurable improvements in public safety.
The petition states that keeping the systems separate would better protect responsible owners, the shooting trade and rural communities, while allowing enforcement efforts to focus on what it describes as more significant threats, including illegal firearms and knife crime. It also raises concerns that a merged licensing structure could negatively affect heritage activities, livelihoods and participation in shooting sports.
Under parliamentary rules, petitions that reach 100,000 signatures are eligible for consideration for debate in the House of Commons.