The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Any one got any idea if any of our "bend over and take a shafting on our behalf national organisations" have a view on and what they are doing about the idea within the current Policing and Crime bill introduced in February this year and is on its third reading. That says that the HO licensing annual fee for clubs will be £123,000 per annum?

What is the present fee?

Don't have it to hand at present but I know it is affordable and not due annually unlike the proposal.

dromia wrote:Any one got any idea if any of our "bend over and take a shafting on our behalf national organisations" have a view on and what they are doing about the idea within the current Policing and Crime bill introduced in February this year and is on its third reading. That says that the HO licensing annual fee for clubs will be £123,000 per annum?

Where did you find that figure, Adam? I had a look at the various notes etc to do with the Policing and Crime bill but can't find it.

According to the HO the annual fee for clubs is £84.

Edit: BTW it's past the third reading and has moved on to the committee stage in the House of Lords scheduled for the 14/09.

Looking here I think the current fee is £84: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... ginal_.pdf

Section 108 of the Bill ( http://www.publications.parliament.uk/p ... pt6-l1g108 ) would give the Home Secretary the right to change the amount at will. presently the fee is enshrined in legislation and would need an Act of Parliament to change it.

daman wrote:Looking here I think the current fee is £84: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... ginal_.pdf

What I said!

We aren't licensed, we certificated, and as it is done for the public good, it should be paid for from the public purse.

From a legal and commercial point of view, a licence is very different. It requires the provision of benefit for payment: ie you pay a television licence and receive television programmes, you pay an angling licence and receive maintenance and stocking of the rivers and so forth. If we pay a licence fee for shooting we should receive a benefit such as the provision and maintenance of ranges.

A licence fee does not exist to cover the costs of its own implementation: it must provide a benefit to the payer. In this contect, being allowed to do what it is one's right to do is not a benefit. If the benefit is deemed to be public safety, then the public should pay.

meles meles wrote:We aren't licensed, we certificated, and as it is done for the public good, it should be paid for from the public purse.

From a legal and commercial point of view, a licence is very different. It requires the provision of benefit for payment: ie you pay a television licence and receive television programmes, you pay an angling licence and receive maintenance and stocking of the rivers and so forth. If we pay a licence fee for shooting we should receive a benefit such as the provision and maintenance of ranges.

A licence fee does not exist to cover the costs of its own implementation: it must provide a benefit to the payer.

For all I know, it could be a licence but what we're talking about the cost for HO approved clubs.

The current argument is that the cost of issuing certification for HO approved clubs costs more than is recouped in the fee. Rightly or wrongly, they are arguing that there should be full cost recovery ans therefore not be 'subsidised' by the public purse. The cost to HO approved clubs is simple. Take £123,000 and divide it by the number of approved clubs and that's what they be charged. Madness, since it makes no effort to introduce cost efficiency in the system.

Sandgroper wrote:

dromia wrote:Any one got any idea if any of our "bend over and take a shafting on our behalf national organisations" have a view on and what they are doing about the idea within the current Policing and Crime bill introduced in February this year and is on its third reading. That says that the HO licensing annual fee for clubs will be £123,000 per annum?

Where did you find that figure, Adam? I had a look at the various notes etc to do with the Policing and Crime bill but can't find it.

According to the HO the annual fee for clubs is £84.

Edit: BTW it's past the third reading and has moved on to the committee stage in the House of Lords scheduled for the 14/09.

It wasn't annual when I last did the renewal for our club some years ago, has it changed?