Recommendation 42

We heard that, previously, the Home Office have participated in discussions about establishing a hotline. Dr Michael North told us that the Gun Control Network “have talked to the Home Office about it and it looked as though there may have been money set aside for it… but it never happened”.125 In oral evidence, Rt Hon. Chris Philp MP of the Home Office stated that the “benefit [of a dedicated hotline] is a public-badged place to go”.126 However, the Minister warned that a new hotline not only “would somewhat duplicate existing channels” which people can use to express concerns to police127, but also would involve “additional cost”.128