FIREARMS LICENCE FEE

That this House urges the Government to increase the firearms licence fee to eliminate the £17 million burden placed upon police services to subsidise private gun ownership; notes that the current fee stands at £50 while its costs the police £196 to process each private gun licence; further notes that police services across the country are facing severe financial pressures resulting in a reduction in the number of frontline and specialist police officers; agrees that every measure possible should be taken to protect funding for vital police work; and acknowledges that when the Government is imposing extensive public spending reductions it is unacceptable to use funding earmarked for policing to subsidise an activity by a small minority of the British public.