Recommendation 58

However, we heard from Dr Colin Shedden, Director Scotland for the British Association of Shooting and Conservation, that shooting organisations have “an expectation that we could move to 10 years”152 between an original licence application and its renewal. Dr Shedden questioned “why waste more police time at these renewals, when we can extend it to 10 years, knowing that we have the comfort that there is almost 24-hour surveillance of certificate holders anyway?”, stating that “if you get involved in a speeding offence, it will be reported to firearms licensing very quickly”.153 Superintendent Duncan corroborated this, telling us that there are “ongoing checks that take place in the background throughout the five-year period”154 of a firearms licence. However, Professor Peter Squires, Professor Emeritus of Criminology and Public Policy at the University of Brighton, told us that “recent suggestions that firearm licences should be extended to ten years, rather than the current five, represents a step in the wrong direction”.155 Professor Squires stated that lengthening the renewal period “signals a reduced level of licensee scrutiny and longer time periods during which the social and psychological circumstances of licensees might vary/deteriorate considerably”, noting that this carries the possibility of “producing greater risk”.156 Given that licence renewal fees are lower than fees for original applications, we suggest that licence renewal fees could be increased to provide more resources to process more frequent renewals. 145 Q3 146 “Dunblane victim’s dad calls for stricter gun laws after Skye shooting”, The National, accessed 13 September 2022 147 Home Affairs Committee, 14 December 2010, Firearms control, The Licence Renewal and Revocation Process, section 78 148 Home Affairs Committee, 14 December 2010, Firearms control, Conclusions and recommendations, Recommendation 12 149 Home Affairs Committee, 14 December 2010, Firearms control, Conclusions and recommenda