Firearms Licensing
Dear Avon and Somerset Constabulary,
For the calendar year 2017, could you please tell me:
1. What is the average length of time from application to grant for new firearms certificates and new shotgun certificates?
2. What is the average length of time from application to grant for firearm certificate and shotgun certificate renewals?
3. How many first time firearm certificate/shotgun certificate applications were made?
4. How many members of staff you employ to process firearms licence applications?
5. Please provide a summary of the application process.
Yours faithfully,
Ms E. M. Jones
Thank you for your request for information. Your request will now be considered and you will receive a response within the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by the Act. In some circumstances Avon and Somerset Constabulary may be unable to achieve this deadline if consideration needs to be given to the public interest test. If this is likely you will be informed and given a revised time-scale at the earliest opportunity.
Corporate Information Management Department
Force Headquarters, PO Box 37, Valley Road,
Portishead, Bristol, BS20 8QJ
Facsimile 01275 814667
Email [email address]
E. M. Jones Our Reference 196/18
[FOI #463134 email] Date 02 March 2018
Dear Mr Jones
I write in connection with your request for information dated 6^th
February under the Freedom of Information Act.
Specifically you asked:
“For the calendar year 2017, could you please tell me:
1. What is the average length of time from application to grant for new
firearms certificates and new shotgun certificates?
2. What is the average length of time from application to grant for
firearm certificate and shotgun certificate renewals?
3. How many first time firearm certificate/shotgun certificate
applications were made?
4. How many members of staff you employ to process firearms licence
applications?
5. Please provide a summary of the application process.”
Our response:
Your request has been considered and I regret to advise you that your
request is refused because we estimate that the cost of retrieving the
requested information would exceed the cost limits under the Act which is
currently set at £450 or 18 staff hours work. This letter represents a
Refusal Notice under the Act.
This is because the information requested in questions 2 and 3 is not
centrally recorded and would involve an extensive search of our files to
find and collate it. In the case of question 3 we would need to manually
review of each licence application to determine whether it was for a first
time application or a renewal.
It is estimated it would take considerably longer than 18 hours to comply.
If you would like to refine your request in order to bring it down to a
more manageable level, we may be able to supply you with some of the
information you require. This can be done by omitting those questions.
Yours sincerely
Rebecca Pritchard
Freedom of Information Officer
Corporate Information Management Department
Please note:
1. Requests and responses may be published on Avon and Somerset
Constabulary’s website (within 24 hours), some of which may contain a link
to additional information, which may provide you with further
clarification.
2. Whilst we may verbally discuss your request with you in order to
seek clarification, all other communication should be made in writing.
3. Avon and Somerset Constabulary provides you with the right to
request a re-examination of your case under its review procedure (copy
attached).
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