Recommendation 13

It has been said that Scotland’s system for processing firearms licence applications is “among the best in the UK”.43 While police forces in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have experienced delays in granting and renewing firearms licences, this is not the case in Scotland.44 Superintendent Steven Duncan, Head of National Firearms and Explosives Licensing for Police Scotland, told us that this is partly because Police Scotland (which has combined local police forces under one umbrella) can spread cases between different processing centres.45 In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, individual forces of different sizes must carry their own workload, using different approaches.46 This is, in part, because of the automated nature of Scotland’s system. Assistant Chief Constable Alan Spiers, Strategic Firearms Commander for Police Scotland, told us that Police Scotland is “the only force in the UK”47 to introduce an automated system, which reduces the administration time involved in applications and renewals.48 Dr Colin Shedden, Director Scotland for the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, told us that: 33 College of Policing, Firearms licensing, accessed 14 December 2022 34 Home Office, Firearms licensing: statutory guidance for Chief Officers of Police, December 2021, page 14 35 Home Office, Guide on firearms licensing law, December 2021, page 4 36 Home Office, Firearms licensing: statutory guidance for Chief Officers of Police, December 2021, page 6 37 Q193 38 Home Office, Firearms licensing: statutory guidance for Chief Officers of Police, December 2021, page 10 39 Home Office, Firearms licensing: statutory guidance for Chief Officers of Police, December 2021, page 5 40 Home Office, Firearms licensing: statutory guidance for Chief Officers of Police, December 2021, page 12 41 Q65 42 Unlock, Shotgun and firearms licence, accessed 15 September 2022 43 Q155 44 British Association for Shooting and Conservation, Firearms licensing inconsistencies are sym