Question
Could the Chief Constable provide an update on the National Firearms Working Group investigation following the Devon and Cornwall incident and in light of their comment proposing social media checks on all Firearm applicants, and also could he confirm if there are currently prolonged firearm certification delays in Northern Ireland, and if so, set out the reasons why?
Answer
At this time, there has been no formal update from the National Firearms lead or the investigation team on the Devon and Cornwall incident. A peer review was carried out in the immediate aftermath of the incident and a report was completed in November 2021. The report and associated findings remain with Devon and Cornwall Police.
Following the Devon and Cornwall incident, however, the Home Office released revised guidance to all police services. In this guidance, there is no intention to adopt social media checks as a routine process, primarily because such an approach is unlikely to be sustainable by any police service. Firearms licensing processes in Northern Ireland are already comparatively robust. An initial gap analysis of the Home Office guidance suggests there are only a few new areas that the Police Service might consider adopting, some of which are likely to require legislative change. The Department of Justice is currently assessing the guidance and will consult with policing leads in due course.
Firearms licensing branches across the UK are experiencing prolonged delays in the processing of firearms applications, with some forces now declining certain applications in order to maintain essential services. Key reasons for this are limited resources, absences and abstractions due to COVID-19 which are affecting both licensing and service partners, and most recently General Practitioners. Similar challenges are being experienced in Northern Ireland at this time.
Firearms and Explosives Branch is in the process of implementing a new major IT system, facilitating an external audit and working through a peak year of applications. The Branch continues to dynamically assign resources to the most critical areas to maintain public safety and, following consultation with a number of MLAs and with representatives of Firearms Dealers, has recently implemented a six point plan which includes a revised performance management framework. The new IT system will provide for more streamlined back office processes, which should produce benefits in late 2022 and 2023.