BASC update on ringfencing of firearms licensing fees

[Conor O'Gorman]

More than two-thirds of 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.

The police forces that have provided assurances on the resourcing of firearms licensing departments are:

• Cheshire
• Derbyshire
• Dorset
• Dyfed Powys
• Gloucestershire
• Kent
• Norfolk
• Northumbria
• North Yorkshire
• Staffordshire
• Suffolk
• Surrey
• West Mercia

The police forces that have not provided assurances, or have not responded to BASC, are:

• Avon & Somerset
• Bedfordshire
• Cambridgeshire
• Cleveland
• Cumbria
• Devon & Cornwall
• Durham
• Essex
• Greater Manchester Police
• Gwent
• Hampshire
• Hertfordshire
• Humberside
• Lancashire
• Leicestershire
• Lincolnshire
• Merseyside
• Metropolitan Police Service
• Northamptonshire
• North Wales
• Nottinghamshire
• South Wales
• South Yorkshire
• Sussex
• Thames Valley Police
• Warwickshire
• West Midlands Police
• West Yorkshire
• Wiltshire

This is not the end of the matter, BASC will keep pushing on this issue.

What would help is forum members contacting their PCC for the police forces in the second list above to explain why they are on this BASC list.

Also, what would help is forum members contacting their PCCs for the forces in the first list above giving positive feedback on their police force having provided assurances to BASC on the resourcing of their firearms licensing departments.

For more information visit:

Silence on firearms licensing fees speaks volumes

The majority of forces in England and Wales have failed to confirm that fee increases will be used to fund firearms licensing departments.

basc.org.uk

 

[slider]

@Conor O'Gorman has the same question been put to Police Scotland and what was the outcome?

 

[Conor O'Gorman]

@Conor O'Gorman has the same question been put to Police Scotland and what was the outcome?

Good point. Yes the question has been asked, and I will check what the answer was, if any, and that the list is updated in any case.

 

[rarms]

Have any replied and said they are not ring fencing it?

 

[charlie222]

Thanks. This is exactly the thing you can engage the general public with. It would (should) be an embarrassment to already beleaguered Labour MPs. Will there be a press release?

 

[Conor O'Gorman]

Have any replied and said they are not ring fencing it?

I don't think so, 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.

 

[Liveonce]

those on the first list simply told you what you wanted to hear, as how will we ever know that all the fee money has gone into the firearms licensing department?

 

[Conor O'Gorman]

Thanks. This is exactly the thing you can engage the general public with. It would (should) be an embarrassment to already beleaguered Labour MPs. Will there be a press release?

That update has been sent to the press, which may or may not be taken up, and what would really help is if you could contact your PCC whether on a positive or negative note depending in which BASC list your force is in. Would you be willing to do that?

 

[Conor O'Gorman]

those on the first list simply told you what you wanted to hear, as how will we ever know that all the fee money has gone into the firearms licensing department?

BASC has pledged to continue scrutinising police budgets and will monitor whether the promised funding is being used to support firearms licensing departments. What would really help is if you could contact your PCC whether on a positive or negative note depending in which BASC list your force is in. Would you be willing to do that?

 

[Liveonce]

BASC has pledged to continue scrutinising police budgets and will monitor whether the promised funding is being used to support firearms licensing departments. What would really help is if you could contact your PCC whether on a positive or negative note depending in which BASC list your force is in. Would you be willing to do that?

I am in Kent, and no for two reasons, one you will get a politically correct reply, and two my FEO has already said not a chance they will see the money. As I say we are unlikely to know where the money ends up.

Your best bet is likely a JR on the 5th February 2026.

 

[Conor O'Gorman]

I am in Kent, and no for two reasons, one you will get a politically correct reply, and two my FEO has already said not a chance they will see the money. As I say we are unlikely to know where the money ends up.

Your best bet is likely a JR on the 5th February 2026.

Kent Police have provided assurances on the resourcing of their firearms licensing department. Perhaps contact your PCC to say that two FEOs have said to you that there is not a chance they will see the money. The best bet is not a judicial review because that does not apply to policing budget decisions as far as I know. The best bet is forum members like yourself contacting their PCCs.

 

[Liveonce]

Then, name and shame them publicly, in the media the general public read, see and hear given the reason for the inflation busting increases were to improve safety for the general public as a consequence of Keyham, so all have a right to know the money is not going to be used for the intended purpose.

 

[Dalua]

Does this not rather undermine the idea that the statutory fee shouldn't have anything much to do with the provision of the service?
If the two are in some way related (as in e.g. 'full cost recovery') then the statutory fee will have to go up every time they decide to add another layer of expensive requirements of whatever kind in to the certification process. That will mean that there need be no control at all on the nature of such requirements, as they'll be no burden on the public purse. They won't even have to go to the bother of making us pay for them ourselves (cf. GP form-filling).
Not a good thing if we hope to keep restrictions and expense for lawful shooters proportionate.

The FLDs should be properly resourced, of course: including giving them the funding so that they can pay GPs for the form-filling they require them to do nowadays.

However, IMO anything that sends a message that 'firearms licensing' is anything other than a statutory duty on the police, and for the public good - as opposed to a 'service' provided to a lot of privileged shooting-folk -needs to be avoided.

 

[charlie222]

That update has been sent to the press, which may or may not be taken up, and what would really help is if you could contact your PCC whether on a positive or negative note depending in which BASC list your force is in. Would you be willing to do that?

I contacted my PCC about the fee increases and forwarded Her reply to BASC. I will write again to applaud Derbyshire on committing the fee to thier firearms department.

 

[simgre]

I’m very surprised that some forces have given that undertaking that the additional funds will be ringfenced. With years of cuts, inflation and increased costs, forces are strapped for cash. This is the only reason firearms licensing has suffered the way it has over the last several years.

When Chiefs have their finite pot, priorities had been to set. When faced with neighbour hood policing, victim support or firearms licensing, which one would the public be prepared to sacrifice?

An example for perspective, currently my force has an “amnesty” on extra or uniform and equipment not being used, that officers may have accrued. Hand it back so it can be re-issued to recruits!

Don’t expect the undertaking by agreeable forces at the minute ti remain permanently. Chiefs have some stark decisions to make with an ever decreasing pot.

 

[Elshad]

The government could help ease the workload on police forces by following through on their promise of deregulating sound moderators

 

[Liveonce]

I’m very surprised that some forces have given that undertaking that the additional funds will be ringfenced.

Have they? all or part of the money? or is it a case of tell them what they want to hear so they go away as we can never prove where all the money will go.

 

[shootnfish]

Good point. Yes the question has been asked, and I will check what the answer was, if any, and that the list is updated in any case.

Hello, I'd like to say to the best of my knowledge police Scotland will not be ring fencing the licence fee increase around licencing. I've not heard anything official but I believe this is the case. And im not surprised.

 

[charlie222]

How on earth can Devon and Cornwall not commit? Its them named in the coroners report that prompted the fee increases.

 

[Benelli m2]

The money has gone to fight knife crime you were told that at the beginning