Fieldsports should be accessible to all

A week before the general election the Home Office published the latest firearms licensing statistics for England and Wales. As of 31 March 2024, there were 495,798 shotgun certificates and 147,364 firearm certificates on issue. 

In the four years since the Covid pandemic, shotgun certificates in England and Wales have dropped by 71,000 with year-on-year declines of 3-4%, albeit the decline may now have plateaued with a 1% drop in the past 12 months. While the impact of Covid is obvious, there are a multitude of other factors in play, including GP verification requirements and fees, backlogs in renewals, and some forces pausing new grant applications. 

Statutory guidance introduced in 2021 has widened the scope of checks police can make, and in the aftermath of the Keyham shootings an already risk-averse culture has been exacerbated. This is evidenced by record numbers of refusals and revocations across most police forces in England and Wales for both shotgun and firearm certificates, which was picked up by the national and local press last week. All these things in combination have chipped away at participation levels in shooting, which at its peak was over one million strong. 

The situation seems seem grim currently, but there are some rays of light. Firearm certificates in England and Wales have not decreased to the same extent as shotgun certificates, and there was a 0.2% rise in the past 12 months. 

While we have lost many people that shoot in England and Wales in recent years, new entrants to shooting increased in the past 12 months, with 6,809 firearm certificate applications (+ 4%) and 16,529 shotgun certificate applications (+1%). There have also been 3,778 new coterminous applications — a 7% increase. 

In Scotland there were 43,796 shotgun certificates on issue in March 2023, a 2,907 drop from 2020. Firearm certificates dropped by 880 since 2020 with 25,983 on issue in 2023. Police Scotland will publish the 2023/24 figures soon. Airguns are licensed in Scotland and there has been a 24% increase in air weapon certificates issued since 2020, currently numbering 31,959 holders. In Northern Ireland there are circa 53,000 firearms holders. 

So will participation in shooting shrink or grow? Shooting should be an accessible sport open to people from all walks of life and not become the preserve of the wealthy, with the finances and means to overcome increasing costs and red tape related to firearms licensing. 

With a Labour majority government now in power, it would be perverse for that government to introduce further barriers for working people, to enjoy a sport that does so much for participants’ wellbeing, the environment and the economy. There is much work ahead to tackle existing barriers and prevent new ones arising. 

BASC continues to meet PCCs and police forces to resolve firearms licensing backlogs and encourage the scrapping of police land checks. We will continue to assist members fighting against unfair refusals and revocations. Recent appeal wins, supported by BASC’s Fighting Fund, may give the police food for thought. 

When the licensing fees review resumes, we will continue to argue against full cost recovery unless it is based on calculating the cost of the most efficient firearms licensing department. We will also be chasing a government response to proposals to get sound moderators off ticket. 

Following the general election we have already begun briefing newly appointed Ministers and reaching out to supportive MPs as we rebuild the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Shooting and Conservation in the House of Commons. 

You can help by inviting your MP to see your shoot, club or shooting business. Many are new to politics and know little of shooting so let’s start them off with a positive and informative experience. 

If you need support for your meeting email me at conor.ogorman@basc.org.uk