Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will provide additional resource to Surrey Police to help process outstanding firearm and shotgun licence applications.

The issuing of firearms certificates, resourcing of firearms licensing teams and the efficiency of police forces is a matter for individual Chief Officers of Police and Police and Crime Commissioners.

The Government has taken action to increase the fees for firearms and shotgun licensing applications that are charged by police forces. On 5 February 2025, increased fees came into effect to provide full-cost recovery for firearms licensing applications processed by police forces. The extra income from fees will help police forces, including Surrey Police, to better resource and train their firearms licensing teams. This was the first increase in fees for 10 years since 2015 and we intend to conduct more regular reviews of fees in the future.

In the interests of consistency and transparency, the National Policing Chiefs Council (NPCC) Lead for Firearms Licensing is now publishing quarterly performance data for firearms licensing teams in all police forces. This includes a new performance target for forces to complete applications for the grant or renewal of firearm and shotgun certificates within four months. 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.