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Gun owners’ medical records should not be tagged

Plan to tag gun owners' medical records is thrown out by BASC in its submission to the Home Affairs Committee.

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A pheasant beater carrying pheasants that have been shot and killed by the hunters during a pheasant shoot near Sherbourne, Warwickshire, England, UK. The pheasant shooting season in Britain runs from October 1st to February 1st.

BASC has objected to proposals to mark firearms owners? medical records in its submission to the Home Affairs Committee enquiry, which was published in full last week.

The submission states that the proposal ?raises issues of patient confidentiality and security of information. BASC cannot support this proposal. We believe it to be disproportionate?.

In addition to potential breaches of rules on data protection, the organisation expressed its concern that there is a lack of basic knowledge of sporting firearms within the medical profession, which could lead to misguided refusals to grant certificates or renewals.

Tagging could also be counterproductive in discouraging shotgun certificate holders who experience mental health issues from seeking medical help, BASC added.