Keyham MP welcomes firearms licensing legislation

The MP that represents the part of Plymouth where a gunman shot and killed five people and himself in 2021 has welcomed new legislation which aims to reduce the costs of firearms licensing for police.

Luke Pollard, Labour MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, said he welcomed the change which requires people applying for firearms licences to pay for the full cost, including safety checks.

Pollard described the change as "good news", adding it was a "key recommendation" of the coroner's report following the shootings.

He said: "I have been campaigning for stronger gun laws since the tragedy in Keyham in August 2021."

"A key part of that is dealing with backlogs in firearms applications in police forces nationwide, but especially here in Devon and Cornwall," Pollard added.

The inquest into the shootings found there had been a "catastrophic failure" after the shooter's gun was returned to him weeks before the killings.

Pollard said the move would help reduce firearms application backlogs.

Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson said the reform, known as full-cost recovery, would free up £103 million for police forces over the next decade to help fix "shortcomings in firearms licensing".

The fee for renewing a shotgun certificate is currently £49 for five years, but the average cost to the police is £126 according to the Home Office.

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