Firearms: Licensing
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the timeliness of firearms licensing services in (a) Surrey Heath constituency and (b) the South East region.
Answered by Sarah Jones
The issuing of firearms certificates and the efficiency of police forces is a matter for individual Chief Officers of Police and Police and Crime Commissioners.
The performance of forces with respect to firearms licensing is being monitored by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) lead on firearms licensing, Deputy Chief Constable David Gardner, and a new performance framework has been developed for firearms licensing teams. This is now being published online on a quarterly basis by the NPCC and provides greater transparency regarding force performance. This includes a performance benchmark for forces to complete applications for the grant or renewal of a firearm or shotgun certificate within four months for cases unless there are more complex factors to consider.
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