3 year FAC

[Liveonce]

just out of interest, what have you paid in the past? ive just had to pay £61.00 for mine.

£80.00 just renewing now, that was my registered GP.

know of some who have got the report for free and some who have paid a lot more, it’s just a postcode lottery.

 

[spanj]

West Mercia did this a few years ago, uptake was good. People are prone to complain about waiting times for renewals, why be cynical about a scheme designed to reduce them?

Because no change in FAL is ever actually an improvement for the shooter. As said elsewhere why not do an 8 year renewal ?

 

[Stalker62]

As said elsewhere why not do an 8 year renewal ?

I think this would require a change in the law, but I do take the point.

 

[Trickyd66]

Why? If the supposed prerequisite is 5 years’ experience, then you’d still need 5 years under your belt.

Because it's done on renewal. Prior to the change to 5 yearly renewals, most licence holders who had "closed " conditions had them removed at 3 years on renewal if they had been using the rifles (or so I have been told)

 

[JTO]

Perhaps there is a case for shorter terms for those who have certain conditions like degenerating conditions ( rather than just lift their licence ) ? But i just see this as more work for the Feo teams and higher cost for the applicant . other than that its just Starmers crew prejudice assuming few if any shooters vote Labour ( which is certainly not the case ) . i have been renewing for about 40 years and my GP records prompt the Doctor to disclose any issues of mental health !
Anyhow i predict a one term government for this crew ( it might be shorter than that and that has happened before and will again ) . First passed the post defaulted to them as the best looser

See post 72.

 

[25 Sharps]

Because it's done on renewal. Prior to the change to 5 yearly renewals, most licence holders who had "closed " conditions had them removed at 3 years on renewal if they had been using the rifles (or so I have been told)

Is it done on renewal or after 5 years’ experience?

They may have considered 3 years’ sufficient previously but now maybe they need 5 years.

Although show enough use and it’ll be opened sooner, mine was opened somewhere between 12 and 18 months without asking.

 

[spanj]

I think this would require a change in the law, but I do take the point.

Then so would a 3 year surely ?

 

[Stalker62]

Then so would a 3 year surely ?

No. I think the anomaly is that a change in legislation is required to extend the 5 year term.

 

[Pedro]

It would make perfect sense if they were to legislate for 10 year certificates. The idea of your doctor's involvement (in part) is to put a marker on your records so that if you are diagnosed with a relevant condition, then they tell the cops who will do what they think fit. But there's I think two issues that are preventing that. Firstly, not every doctor/surgery does the marker thing (and if they do, will they act accordingly if a problem arises). Secondly, anything that gives a greater amount of freedom to those dastardly gun owners who all have sniper rifles would not be popular with certain members of society.

 

[Stalker62]

It would make perfect sense if they were to legislate for 10 year certificates.

If only.

One ten-year ticket would happily see me out...

 

[Pedro]

If only.

One ten-year ticket would happily see me out...

Yup, me too.

 

[Stalker62]

Yup, me too.

Actually , come to think of it, with my accident history, likely so would a three-year ticket...

 

[zambezi]

In advance of a predicted period of peak demand, they were inviting early renewals to even out the hump. It wasn't a big deal. Enough people took it up to smooth the flow in subsequent years.

A better solution is this: Early 5 year renewal offered at a discount equivalent to time lost on existing FAC.

 

[Conor O'Gorman]

It seems that some people here needed that explained to them.

To add to the background on the move from 3 year to 5 year certs from 1995 onwards, one of the arguments for moving to 10 year certs was a BASC proposed model for balancing out the peaks and troughs, which would mean phasing in longer cert life, ie. not everyone would be getting 10 year certs straight away, it would be phased in.

 

[Stalker62]

...BASC proposed model for balancing out the peaks and troughs, which would mean phasing in longer cert life, ie. not everyone would be getting 10 year certs straight away, it would be phased in.

I think most folk understand the desire to balance out the peaks and troughs, and that this would require a phased in approached, to any change in the length of the FAC/SGC - it would just be such a huge step forward, to get it done.

 

[fixedwheel]

A better solution is this: Early 5 year renewal offered at a discount equivalent to time lost on existing FAC.

Far too sensible. Never catch on.

 

[VSS]

A better solution is this: Early 5 year renewal offered at a discount equivalent to time lost on existing FAC.

That's exactly what NWP did, if I remember correctly.

 

[zambezi]

In England and Wales, this resulted in an initial overall average workload decrease of 98% in renewals and 34% in grants between renewal years and non-renewal years.

@Conor O'Gorman - Does anyone attribute the current "humps" and "troughs" to the initial roll out of 5 year certs in 1995?

For a cycle started over 40 years ago to have any bearing on current workflows, the number of certificates already issued in 1995 would need to dwarf the number of certificates issued since then.

Or the certs added since 1995 happen to be issued in clumps that coincide with 1995 originated renewal "humps" and not randomly distributed in the calendars since. Seems unlikely.

 

[Bowland blades]

It would make perfect sense if they were to legislate for 10 year certificates. The idea of your doctor's involvement (in part) is to put a marker on your records so that if you are diagnosed with a relevant condition, then they tell the cops who will do what they think fit. But there's I think two issues that are preventing that. Firstly, not every doctor/surgery does the marker thing (and if they do, will they act accordingly if a problem arises). Secondly, anything that gives a greater amount of freedom to those dastardly gun owners who all have sniper rifles would not be popular with certain members of society.

i agree , however the reasoning behind being able to have the option to for home office / police to be able to " selectively " use them ..? Might well be the old person who has some cognitive regression say onset of some age related decline etc can get those " shorter term " renewals . Of course this likely might come up against discrimination rules and the like ?
To add, i very much feel there is no real other reasons besides this. Shorter terms means more costs and a lot more FEO's to sit on the payroll . Pretty sure most nations have have no requirement to renew, yet revocation is possible ?

 

[Conor O'Gorman]

@Conor O'Gorman - Does anyone attribute the current "humps" and "troughs" to the initial roll out of 5 year certs in 1995?

For a cycle started over 40 years ago to have any bearing on current workflows, the number of certificates already issued in 1995 would need to dwarf the number of certificates issued since then.

Or the certs added since 1995 happen to be issued in clumps that coincide with 1995 originated renewal "humps" and not randomly distributed in the calendars since. Seems unlikely.

It's long been understood as an issue. See clauses 4.17 onwards

https://assets-hmicfrs.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/uploads/firearms-licensing-targeting-the-risk.pdf

Forces have tried to mitigate the peaks and troughs in workload in different ways including what S Wales police is doing by offering some people a 3-year cert. One of the arguments for moving to 10 year certs was a BASC proposed model for balancing out the peaks and troughs, which would mean phasing in longer cert life, ie. not everyone would be getting 10 year certs straight away, it would be phased in.