Silence on firearms licensing fees speaks volumes

Most police forces in England and Wales have failed to give assurances to back up a Home Office pledge that money raised by increasing firearms licensing fees would be ploughed back into firearms licensing.

BASC wrote to all Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and Chief Constables in England and Wales to seek assurances that additional funds raised by fee increases would be used to resource police firearms licensing departments. 

The request followed our strong condemnation of the government’s decision in January to impose, on average, a 133 per cent increase in firearms licensing fees without consultation, and without first addressing inefficiencies plaguing the system.

Bill Harriman, BASC’s director of firearms, said: “The Minister and the Home Office have repeatedly said that the money raised from the increased fees is going back into firearms licensing. We have written to PCCs and Chief Constables, who oversee police budgets, seeking assurance to that effect and over two-thirds have failed to give it.

“The government has no power to tell individual constabularies how to spend their income. If there is no certainty that these additional fees will be used to enhance the system; the justification for such a significant rise is deeply flawed. Despite allowing more than adequate time for them to give us the reassurances we were seeking on behalf of our members, we have been met with silence from a significant number of forces. Some have also indicated that no firm decision has been made.

“This lack of transparency raises serious concerns that the additional money may not go where it is needed most. Without proper investment, firearms licensing services will remain inefficient. Those who rely on them will pay more without seeing any improvement in service delivery.

“A failing licensing system is not just an administrative issue. Inefficient licensing puts guns in the hands of the wrong people, it puts public safety at risk.”

With the new fees taking effect on 2 February, we have so far received confirmation from only 13 of the 42 forces contacted that the extra funds will be reinvested into firearms licensing. Twenty-two forces are yet to respond to our enquiries, while seven others said they are still awaiting direction from a Chief Constable or PCC.

BASC has pledged to continue scrutinising police budgets and will monitor whether the promised funding is being used to support firearms licensing departments.