Non-statutory Home Office guidance
Read our explanation of the non-statutory Guide on Firearms Licensing Law published by the Home Office and what it means for licence holders.
PCCs must use firearms licensing fees to improve service, says BASC
BASC is seeking assurances from every Police and Crime Commissioner in England and Wales that funds raised from increased firearms licensing fees will be used to resource their firearms licensing departments.
BASC has contacted all Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) following the government’s decision last week to significantly increase firearms licensing fees.
BASC’s executive director of communications and public affairs, Christopher Graffius, said: “The government’s justification for the increase is that the extra funds raised will go to support improvements in the work of firearms licensing departments, although they have no powers to ensure that this is what happens.
“We have written to the officials responsible for setting the policing budget for their forces to seek their assurance that all funds raised from firearms licensing fees will be assigned to resourcing their firearms licensing departments.”
The move comes after the government announced fee increases amounting to full cost recovery, pushing firearms licensing fees up by an average of 133 per cent across all functions. Read more on the breakdown of the proposals here.
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NI police declares Firearms and Explosives branch “critical incident”
They currently have a backlog of firearms licence applications that is sitting at roughly 3,000 applications and rising.
EFRA committee chair calls for close engagement with BASC and rural communities
Speaking at the Liberal Democrat Conference in Brighton yesterday, Alistair Carmichael MP highlighted the importance of shooting to rural Britain.
