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<p>The Government is committed to ensuring an efficient and effective firearms licensing
system and to achieving full cost recovery for the police and Home Office.</p><p>
</p><p>Fees for firearm and shotgun licences issued by the police were last increased
in 2015 and were calculated with a view to enabling police forces to achieve full
cost recovery. These fees are currently being reviewed to assess any changes in police
costs.</p><p> </p><p>The Home Office administers applications for firearms licences
made by museums with gun collections, approved shooting clubs, and dealers wishing
to possess prohibited firearms. The Policing and Crime Act 2017 created a power to
charge new fees for these licences. We sought views on proposals for new fees in a
public consultation in 2017. Alongside the consultation, we published an impact assessment,
which set out the estimated net costs of the system. We received around 5,000 responses
to the consultation, which we have considered carefully. We undertook to review the
proposed level of fees before they were finalised and officials are currently in discussion
with groups representing licensed firearms holders. A Government response will be
published shortly.</p>
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