Shooters call for licence efficiencies

The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) says proposals to raise the cost of a five-year firearm and shotgun certificate from £50 to £94 have been submitted to the Home Office by the Association of Chief Police Officers.

BASC firearms director Bill Harriman, whose team handles more than 500 calls a month from individuals trying to negotiate the applications process, said: “Service delivery is inconsistent. Some police forces produce long and unacceptable delays in the process.

“Certificate holders should pay a fair price for a fair service and BASC wishes to see that fair service put in place. Neither certificate holders nor the taxpayer should have to pay for inefficiency.”

Chief Constable Andy Marsh, ACPO’s lead on firearms licensing, said: “Fees levied to administer firearms licensing have not changed in more than ten years and it is recognised that they are not sufficient to cover the costs associated with the process. Currently police forces recover a small proportion of the costs in the licensing system.

“As such, I have submitted a proposal to the Home Office for a modest increase in fees for firearms licensing, with the aim to fully recover the costs in the near future. Whilst doing so I am working on improving our efficiency and effectiveness by introducing an online solution into a dated system, speeding up processes and allowing staff to concentrate on protecting the public and delivering an excellent service.”