Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to improve efficiency in and reduce the time taken for the firearms licencing process following the increase in firearms licencing fees.

The issuing of firearm and shotgun certificates, resourcing of firearms licensing teams and the efficiency of police forces in processing licensing applications, are matters for individual Chief Officers of Police and Police and Crime Commissioners. When increased fees came into effect on 5 February 2025 to provide full-cost recovery for the police, the Home Office wrote to all Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables to make clear that the additional income must be used to support improvements in police force firearms licensing teams. Fees were subsequently increased by 3% from 4 June 2026, in line with inflation, to help ensure that they continue to reflect the costs to police forces of delivering the firearms licensing function. The expectation that the fees income supports an effective and efficient licensing service remains unchanged.

Alongside the increase in fees, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for firearms licensing now publishes quarterly performance data for firearms licensing in all police forces in England and Wales which includes a new performance target for forces to complete applications for the grant or renewal of firearm and shotgun certificates within four months of receipt. We welcome this greater transparency and forces making improvements in performance, subject to ensuring public safety remains the priority and suitability checks are carried out properly.