Labour to raise the issue of Licensing Fees in HoC.

[Gaz]

Taken from the UKPSA forum from the UKPSA liason officer with BSSC;

"As you are no doubt aware, there has been substantial pressure on the Home Office to revise the fees structure for firearms licensing, with suggestions throughout the year that the fees for applications and renewals of FACs and SGCs would be almost doubled.

However following representations from BSSC and other major shooting organisations, the Home Office have now agreed to the setting up of a working group to give a more thorough review of the whole cost structure for licensing, with a requirement for substantially more information on individual Police licensing department costs.

The requirement for 'full cost recovery' for licensing has now been dropped. In addition there will not be any fees increases until after the working group has reported (and I believe that this most unlikely to be this year).

The management of licensing units is also likely to be given close scrutiny by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, who's current Chief Inspector, Thomas Winsor, is the first who has not been a career police officer, and is not liked by ACPO."

Fees unlikely to increase before 2015 is the rumour around the campfire. There WILL be an increase though and it WILL be 'harsh'. Bear in mind that prices haven't been adjusted for 12 years worth of inflation/cost of living

This sounds promising - has full cost recovery actually been dropped? If so that's a major victory for BSSC - and for us. I'm not so sure about this working group, though. Unless it's not stuffed full of ACPO Firearms and Explosives Licensing Working Group people - you really have to read the FELWG minutes to see just how utterly out of touch they are with how shooting and the shooting sports operate. I imagine far worse things are said by them about shooters, off the record. They really do believe that they're "managing" a group of criminals who just need to be caught in the act, not the most law-abiding section of the public.

[SevenSixTwo]

Don't look now but:

http://bit.ly/1cOE4A1

The Socialists now want you to prove your suitable to own guns.

Don't we do that already?

Stand by. History repeats.

[ovenpaa]

Interesting final comment on the page

Although there are generally a handful of high profile firearms incidents in Britain every year, gun crime is falling in the UK and accidental fatalities involving firearms are among the lowest in the world standing at 0.02 per thousand, including police and military fatalities.

[meles meles]

So there will be an outbreak of sanity and they'll let us good, well-behaved people have our guns again ?

[BestDrugDoc]

Not badgers though - they may start to fight back.....

[SevenSixTwo]

Wow, get this one:

Labour: Proposed fee rise "reflects true cost to police" of gun crime.

http://www.itv.com/news/border/update/2 ... gun-crime/

Licence holders commit gun crime? :roll:

What planet are these people on?
.

[Agentfunky]

Taken from the UKPSA forum from the UKPSA liason officer with BSSC;

"As you are no doubt aware, there has been substantial pressure on the Home Office to revise the fees structure for firearms licensing, with suggestions throughout the year that the fees for applications and renewals of FACs and SGCs would be almost doubled.

However following representations from BSSC and other major shooting organisations, the Home Office have now agreed to the setting up of a working group to give a more thorough review of the whole cost structure for licensing, with a requirement for substantially more information on individual Police licensing department costs.

The requirement for 'full cost recovery' for licensing has now been dropped. In addition there will not be any fees increases until after the working group has reported (and I believe that this most unlikely to be this year).

The management of licensing units is also likely to be given close scrutiny by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, who's current Chief Inspector, Thomas Winsor, is the first who has not been a career police officer, and is not liked by ACPO."

Fees unlikely to increase before 2015 is the rumour around the campfire. There WILL be an increase though and it WILL be 'harsh'. Bear in mind that prices haven't been adjusted for 12 years worth of inflation/cost of living

They need to make the system more efficient first.

Otherwise we are simply paying more money for an inefficient system. This contravenes then principles of best value that is a requirement of Govt services.

[Blackstuff]

Fees unlikely to increase before 2015 is the rumour around the campfire. There WILL be an increase though and it WILL be 'harsh'. Bear in mind that prices haven't been adjusted for 12 years worth of inflation/cost of living

They need to make the system more efficient first.

Otherwise we are simply paying more money for an inefficient system. This contravenes then principles of best value that is a requirement of Govt services.

While i hate appeasement politics, especially when it relates to firearms, IMO it would be sensible to agree to an inflation/cost of living related fee increase NOW, rather than holding a militant line waiting for all FLD's to get their act together.

The chances of defending this position, again, IMO is virtually impossible, particularly with a general election coming up and Labour having a strong chance of winning (see articles above for their plans for the future of licensing - i.e. full cost recovery). We would be in a much stronger position if we had already accepted an increase in costs so if Labour do get in and talk about full cost recovery we will have a much more reasonable defence, i.e. the costs have already been increased and to inflation/CoL levels.

The general public will not give a toss whether we're (shooters) getting a good service for our money, they'll only see - YOU'RE (the GP) paying/subsidising toffs/farmers to own guns and the fees haven't been adjusted for 12+ years.

[phaedra1106]

But in reality we don't get a "service", firearms licensing is for the protection of the public, like any other policing for public safety it should be paid for by the public it's there to protect.

[SevenSixTwo]

But in reality we don't get a "service", firearms licensing is for the protection of the public, like any other policing for public safety it should be paid for by the public it's there to protect.

^ That.