As many of you will know, firearms licensing is almost the definition of a postcode lottery. Some police forces provide a good service, some are OK and some are absolutely abysmal. Those of us living in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire or Hertfordshire know that the combined firearms licensing department for those three forces is currently a complete mess and none of us would have been surprised at the findings of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) report published this week. Most seriously it found that failures in the department have increased risk to public safety.

Amongst other things, the inspectors found huge backlogs - with applications taking over two years in some cases - well over 1,000 temporary permits on issue, an ineffective case management system and inadequate training. Inspectors also found 2,190 emails unanswered, staff unaware of their roles and responsibilities, and no plan to deal with the extensive backlog. 

What is most worrying about this new report are the echoes of another investigation by the Coroner who considered the shooting of five people by a licensed gun owner in Plymouth in 2021. He found a “catastrophic failure” by the licensing authority, in that case Devon and Cornwall Police, relating to management, processes and training in its firearms licensing department. In many cases his findings were identical to those of the inspectors in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire.

The Plymouth case is the basis of the current government’s proposed changes to firearms licensing legislation, which it is imminently to consult on. Bizarrely, however, the government has not proposed a reform of the system which the Coroner found had failed catastrophically in Devon and Cornwall and which continues to fail in police forces around the country. Ministers have instead proposed stricter legislation on the ownership and licensing of shotguns which would be catastrophic for shooting. Without being flippant it is tempting to ask what on earth is the point of changing the legislation when police forces have been unable to properly enforce the current law and are continuing to be found incapable of doing so?

The Alliance believes that Ministers are shooting at the wrong target and instead of ramping up what is already some of the strictest firearms legislation in the world, the government should be addressing the urgent need for root and branch reform of firearms licensing in England and Wales. We think that the evidence is clear that a purpose-built, central authority, with consistent oversight and efficient and effective operation, would improve both public safety and service to license holders.

We are lobbying Ministers and MPs but it is crucial that, when the government consults on its proposals, as many people as possible respond. Please register below and we will let you know as soon as the consultation is published and guide you through the process. Your support will be vital as we campaign to protect shooting.