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BASC considering response to NI firearms licensing fee hike
BASC NI will take the time to review and consider the detail of a public consultation on firearms licensing.
The consultation, launched today by the Northern Ireland Department of Justice (DoJ), includes proposals to increase all firearms licensing fees by 153 per cent and to add more calibers to the banded system.
The proposals were revealed during a Northern Ireland Assembly Committee for Justice meeting last week.
BASC NI director Tommy Mayne said: “We will take the time to read and consider the consultation in full and respond in due course. We will also discuss the consultation with partner organisations on the Northern Ireland Firearms Representative Group (NIFRG) before responding.
“We will issue advice and guidance to members on how best to respond to the consultation. In the meantime, we encourage members not to respond.”
Banded system
The firearms licensing system in NI system is administered by the Police Service of Northern Ireland Firearms and Explosives Branch (PSNI/FEB).
The banded system is unique to Northern Ireland and allows firearm certificate holders to exchange one rifle for another, within specific bands, on a firearms dealer’s premises.
The proposal to expand the banded system is based on amendments previously submitted by BASC to the Justice Committee in 2020.
The objective of the fees increase is to move to full cost recovery, in line with the recommendations contained in the NI Audit Office report of September 2018. If passed into law, the proposal would see current fees increase by 153 per cent, including:
- Grant of a firearm certificate: £98 to £250
- Variation by the PSNI Chief Constable: £30 to £77
- Variation using the banded system: £15 to £38
- Firearms dealer’s certificate: £300 to £764
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