Increased firearms fees and updated system are welcome, says Alliance

The Countryside Alliance welcomes the news of a proportionate rise in firearms fees, due to come into force on 6 April. An order, to be laid before Parliament today, is expected to propose that the fee for a shotgun certificate should increase from £50 to £79.50 with balanced increases in other fees. It follows a consultation in which 73% of respondents supported an increase in licence fees.

Adrian Blackmore, director of shooting for the Countryside Alliance said: "The shooting community supports a sensible rise in licensing fees alongside critical improvements to the system and application process to bring it into the 21st Century.

"Fees have been a subject of much discussion for some time, and the Countryside Alliance has been part of a Home Office Working Party that was set up to look into this issue.

"We accepted, along with the British Shooting Sports Council and other shooting organisations, that fees inevitably had to rise but that any increase had to be made alongside efficiency savings and service improvements by the police."