No guarantees in that.
3 year FAC
- Thread starter DesG
- Start date
Essex FLD dept did this some while back with my, and my wife's SGC renewal. I dont recall what the drawback was, but i dont believe we took advantage of it.
As others have said, the problem is adequate resourcing, and any benefits to FLD will be short lived as once everyone is on a three year cycle then the same number of FAC/SGC will require renewing more frequently unless i have missed something?
I am unsure how Essex have gone form asking SGC/FAC holders to do this to where they are now, but their turnaround for new applications/renewals/variations appears, from what i see on here to be amongst the fastest UK wide. MY recent variaiotn took 11 days iirc.
As others have said, the problem is adequate resourcing, and any benefits to FLD will be short lived as once everyone is on a three year cycle then the same number of FAC/SGC will require renewing more frequently unless i have missed something?
I am unsure how Essex have gone form asking SGC/FAC holders to do this to where they are now, but their turnaround for new applications/renewals/variations appears, from what i see on here to be amongst the fastest UK wide. MY recent variaiotn took 11 days iirc.
Thats a no from me, who would do it, what would it entail? Getting them to tick three boxes and use all that ink is hard enough for some people, what would an assessment set you back and how long would that take? Some people struggle to get a normal appointment
You don't go onto a three year cycle, once done you should be on a five year cycle, on paper it looks good, instead of everyone renewing at year five some of those people now renew on year seven, but it soon returns to normal clutter
The current medical process is not, as far as i can tell, an assessment per se, but confirmation that the applicant has no history of various conditions, it is not opinion based. I had to point this out to a former GP who disagreed with private gun ownership.
If the process involves an assessment if the gp so feels inclined they could apply their own prejudices to assert that irrespective of the history of a patient that in their opinion, no private individuals should not have a gun because no one is fit to possess one.
The lketter does not make that clear, it asks the holder whether they agree to a 3 year cycle. Could be I'm mis-reading it, but that's how it appears to me ATM.
There is another way of looking at this....
Since we all expect Labour to increase the FAC cost to something like £400, if you renew early, you pay the current fee, so would effectively be up £300 (depending on medical costs).
Additionally, when you do come for renewal in another 5 years, or want a speedy / contentious Variation, you can remind FLD of your cooperation in easing their operational demands.
Since we all expect Labour to increase the FAC cost to something like £400, if you renew early, you pay the current fee, so would effectively be up £300 (depending on medical costs).
Additionally, when you do come for renewal in another 5 years, or want a speedy / contentious Variation, you can remind FLD of your cooperation in easing their operational demands.
We cooperate every five years as it is, and look where that gets us
Very poorly written letter
fixedwheel
Well-Known Member
Except it is not to renew early, it is to renew to a shorter term certificate of only 3 years, and pay pro-rata.
If you renew for 5 years at the current rate (£62 Firearms, £65 co-terminus, I am just going to use the co-terminus rate from now) it is £13 per year
If you choose to follow this request, and get a 3 year cert, it will cost you £39, £13 per year (+ medical pro-forma costs)
If the current government did put up the renewal to the figure you are speculating on, £400, between now and the expiry of the 3 year cert, that years 4 & 5, ('27-'28, & '28-'29) would cost you £80 per year instead of getting a 5 year cert now at £13 per year. On top of the medical pro-forma. Who knows what your surgery will have hiked their prices to in 3 years time.
Doesn't look so appealing now, does it?
We come back to the place we are at, and that is that the Chief Constable should ensure that there are sufficient resources to process the statutory workload.
Whitefront
Well-Known Member
I think certain people may be making a fuss about nothing. They are simply asking you to help them smooth out a peak in their renewals, which may have been exacerbated from from the time when certificate timescales were changed. A lot of forces found this. I received a similar letter from my own force just over four years ago, asking whether I would consider a shorter term of four years for my coterminous certificates. I did, and the renewal took just two weeks, for a proportionately reduced fee. More recently, I underwent the renewal process again. I was concerned that the advent of Covid may have mucked things up, but I duly got my certificates renewed on time (no extension needed) for the normal five years. Job done.
mike308
Well-Known Member
I've just been contacted by Dyfed- Powys police asking me to renew early. The cost of the new certificate would be reduced pro rata but they refuse to give me anything to offset the cost of the doctors certificate as they say that is my responsibility not theirs. This means I have to fork out another £60.00 for the certificate two years after the last one.
So by helping them I'm £40.00 out of pocket.
So by helping them I'm £40.00 out of pocket.
Its voluntary, don't do it if you don't want to, this also highlights the failings of the marker system
fixedwheel
Well-Known Member
Not only is it not a legal requirement for your practice to apply a marker to say you have applied for a FAC/SGC when they do the pro-forma, there is no legal requirement for the surgery to apply the marker when the FLD tell them that a certificate has been issued.Extremely good point, and I have learned something, I never knew it was merely voluntary, I always assumed it was a requirement for GPS to put a marker on a patient's file, interesting
Even if they do apply the marker, there is no legal requirement for the Doctor to act on the flag, and no legal liability if they do not.
Have a look at the Memorandum of Understanding, linked below, and try convincing me that there is any real value in it, and what exactly the applicant is getting for the fee for providing it. Or if there is any real benefit to public safety.
Conor O'Gorman
Well-Known Member
I was asked if I knew about the South Wales letter and I explained I didn't know and would flag with colleagues. I have done so and they were aware. As regards police forces requesting shorter certificate lengths for renewals to attempt to iron out peaks and troughs yes BASC is aware of that happening before.
How would you suggest they could have sorted it out?
- Use technology better, most power and broadband companies can find out pretty much everything about you with a few clicks of a mouse
- Work more efficiently
- Once granted, no further medical checks providing you have a marker on your record
- FAC to allow purchase of shotguns, reducing co-terminus paperwork
- 1-1 variations done via an app,email or post (informed of change not requesting a change)
- Moderators off ticket
- 10 year license
Stalker62
Well-Known Member
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