Kent police dictate new requirements for renewal/ application for FAC

[deerwarden]

Just seen a new thread on the nightvision forum U.K. where Kent Police are asking for a G.P. to state you are fit to have/acquire firearms. On renewals/applications you will be sent a form to hand into your G.P. for him to state you have no issues that he is aware of that would be an issue for you to be granted/ or be reissued a new FAC etc. Most G.Ps. are busy and will want a serious fee for this, any ones that do not like firearms etc will be against filling it in at all. I am thankful that at 73 I have been there and done many things the younger members will be possibly denied in the future. Sadly I fear my grandchildren will not be allowed to do what I have enjoyed since the age of 14, when I bought my first BSA 177 meteor. I suggest you all look at the post and read it yourselves. deerwarden

 

[gonzo]

I think that has been discused here and certainly reported in the BASC magazine.

As I understand it:
The Home office guidelines are that a doctors letter is only required if the applicant has declared any of the notifiable conditions. In which case, the applicant must pay the fee.
If the constabulary decide to contact the doctor when no disclosure is made, the police should stand any fee. And no reply from the doctor should be taken as no issues/concerns/
But Kent have decided that they will not procede without a doctors reply.

I know one person who put on for their FAC recently, in Dorset. No medical/mental conditions to disclose, but still got asked to cover a doctors letter fee. So looks like the rot may be spreading.

 

[Archer]

Just seen a new thread on the nightvision forum U.K. where Kent Police are asking for a G.P. to state you are fit to have/acquire firearms. On renewals/applications you will be sent a form to hand into your G.P. for him to state you have no issues that he is aware of that would be an issue for you to be granted/ or be reissued a new FAC etc

Really?
Not my experience of Kent Police!.
At the end of August Kent Police renewed both my FAC and SGC and I was NOT sent one of these forms.
I was asked during the interview about any changes I my health/if I had been in contact with my GP and that was it.
They were VERY efficient, returning my FAC before the expiry date and adding Any Lawful Quarry without my requesting it​

 

[mealiejimmy]

In April 2016 when these new medical "rules" came into force, it was the case that initial letter was sent by the police directly to the applicants GP, and was supposed to be returned by the GP directly to the police.
It appears that there are some forces still using that method, but it looks like Kent have simply done what other forces (e.g police scotland) have done and changed their method to include the letter in the documentation the applicant gets when they apply for a certificate.
The applicant then becomes responsible for getting the letter to the GP and, in some cases collecting the completed letter from the GP and either handing it in to the police office dealing with the application or retaining it until the FEO does the home visit.
Why have they changed - to save postage!!

Cheers

Bruce

 

[Whitebeard]

Just seen a new thread on the nightvision forum U.K. where Kent Police are asking for a G.P. to state you are fit to have/acquire firearms. On renewals/applications you will be sent a form to hand into your G.P. for him to state you have no issues that he is aware of that would be an issue for you to be granted/ or be reissued a new FAC etc

Really?
Not my experience of Kent Police!.
At the end of August Kent Police renewed both my FAC and SGC and I was NOT sent one of these forms.
I was asked during the interview about any changes I my health/if I had been in contact with my GP and that was it.
They were VERY efficient, returning my FAC before the expiry date and adding Any Lawful Quarry without my requesting it​

That was August its now nearly November
Firearms licences - apply today - Kent Police


Ian

 

[Bavarianbrit]

Well theres a crock!

 

[Whitebeard]

They are all gradually jumping on the band wagon and the Home Secretary is doing nothing, Oh i forgot, the home secretary no longer has any power over the police, tho police now do as they please and have done so since Blunkett tried to sack a chief constable and he refused to go.

Ian

 

[Dahonis]

My last renewal with Durham required a letter from the doc. No letter, no renewal. Plain and simple. It also gets recorded on your medical record and is on the screen for the doctor to see as soon as you go on.....FAC Holder.

 

[Orion]

How strange, I can't see any reference to 'Comply With Home Office Guidance' on the Kent Police Firearms Licensing Responsibilities flowchart.

Firearms Licensing Responsibilities

Could they have simply forgotten about it and need reminding?

 

[Orion]

That was August its now nearly November
Firearms licences - apply today - Kent Police

To be fair, their webpage does state that; "You are now required to provide medical information verified by a GP for all new firearms, shotgun and explosive licence applications".

No mention of renewals, so maybe that's why Archer wasn't required to supply one at his renewal?

 

[User00025]

Well what do you know? Our various organisations had time to Scotch this when Lincolnshire kicked off with it on the TV.
Did they, did they …. . Much posturing about political discussion and much posting and argument on here, but we have been let down. If you don't go for the vaccination there is a good chance you get the disease.

 

[Orion]

Possibly a tad harsh there!

Here’s the latest from one organisation that’s on the ball with it’s strong opposition, reserving the right to take legal action if appropriate, and ......... meetings of all things!
At least they’re no longer ‘welcoming’ the scheme.

Rollover

 

[Dahonis]

My last renewal with Durham required a letter from the doc. No letter, no renewal. Plain and simple. It also gets recorded on your medical record and is on the screen for the doctor to see as soon as you go on.....FAC Holder.

I missed off I was on a minor dose of anti depressants for 6 months......that stopped 3 years prior to my renewal.

 

[Big Jim]

Possibly a tad harsh there!

Here’s the latest from one organisation that’s on the ball with it’s strong opposition, reserving the right to take legal action if appropriate, and ......... meetings of all things!
At least they’re no longer ‘welcoming’ the scheme.

Rollover

I take it that BASC don't deal with Police Scotland. We have been subjected to this since the start.

 

[mealiejimmy]

I was at a BASC meeting in Inverurie last week and Dr. Colin Sheddon (top BASC person in Scotland) did a Q&A on firearms licensing and he effectively admitted that they have absolutely no influence on Police Scotland when it comes to firearms licensing.

Cheers

Bruce

 

[Big Jim]

I was at a BASC meeting in Inverurie last week and Dr. Colin Sheddon (top BASC person in Scotland) did a Q&A on firearms licensing and he effectively admitted that they have absolutely no influence on Police Scotland when it comes to firearms licensing.

Cheers

Bruce

Thanks for the reply.
I should have guessed that they have no influence when the airgun certificate nonsense came around.

 

[Miki]

I take it that BASC don't deal with Police Scotland. We have been subjected to this since the start.

BASC approve of this measure ...

 

[Broadarrow]

I was under the impression that on the FAC renewal / application that there is a section / declaration that requires you to declare if you have had any condition ( usually mental health / depression etc) and if you tick that box there is another section which you have to give authority for the licensing dept to contact your GP...No where on the form does it say that YOU have to pay for anything such as a doctors report or obtain a carte blanche report . There has also been some confusion whereby it was alleged by some forces that ALL applicants would have to approach their GP's to obtain a medical report to submit with their application irrespective of whether or not they had suffered from any condition that would effect their suitability to hold a firearms cert' ....I believe Lincs Police made such a statement that they would not process applications of they had not received the doctors report.

I would advise ALL applicants to contact their Licensing Dept well in advance of renewals to clarify these points......

I have attached forms from West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire Police for reference...

 

[Whitebeard]

To be fair, their webpage does state that; "You are now required to provide medical information verified by a GP for all new firearms, shotgun and explosive licence applications".

No mention of renewals, so maybe that's why Archer wasn't required to supply one at his renewal?

Orion as you know a renewal is a new application in its own right at least thats what the licensing office keeps on telling us.

Ian

 

[Orion]

Not exactly. It’s the test for renewal of a firearm certificate that is the same as the test for the grant of one. They are still two different things - otherwise there wouldn’t be any mention of ‘renewal’ in any of the official documentation or legislation. It’s possibly telling that Kent, amongst other offending forces, staggered the requirement for the medical evidence for new applications (31/05/18) and renewals (01/10/18). They obviously haven’t yet updated their website to reflect the latter.

Interestingly Gwent Police will be demanding medical evidence to accompany new applications from 1st November this year but apparently have no plans to implement the same policy for renewals - yet!

 

[richard griffith]

Not exactly. It’s the test for renewal of a firearm certificate that is the same as the test for the grant of one. They are still two different things - otherwise there wouldn’t be any mention of ‘renewal’ in any of the official documentation or legislation. It’s possibly telling that Kent, amongst other offending forces, staggered the requirement for the medical evidence for new applications (31/05/18) and renewals (01/10/18). They obviously haven’t yet updated their website to reflect the latter.

Interestingly Gwent Police will be demanding medical evidence to accompany new applications from 1st November this year but apparently have no plans to implement the same policy for renewals - yet!