A recent parlimentary written question tabled by Jim Shannon MP has revealed that shooting's popularity is continually growing. The question tabled was 'how many shotguns and firearms permit holders there were in each of the last five years?' The answer was provided in the form of a table (below), submitted by the Minister in charge of licensing Mike Penning.
Number of firearms and shotguns certificates on issue at 31 March each year, England and Wales, 2009/10 to 2013/14
| Firearm certificates on issue | Shotgun certificates on issue | |
| 2009/10 | 141,852 | 580,653 |
| 2010/11 | 141,840 | 564,269 |
| 2011/12 | 143,166 | 562,696 |
| 2012/13 | 147,695 | 570,726 |
| 2013/14 | 151,413 | 582,923 |