Mr. John D. TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the cost of a new firearms licence for a shotgun in January 1986 and January 1990.
§ Mr. CopeA new firearms certificate cost £33 in January 1986 and £46 in January 1990. A firearms certificate covers all types of firearms.
§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the average amount of time a civilian worker in the Royal Ulster Constabulary firearms 657W section spends on the processing of (a) an application, (b) a variation and (c) the renewal of a firearms certificate in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. Cope[holding answer 9 January 1990]: The information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the average amount of police time it takes to process(a) an application, (b) a variation and (c) the renewal of a firearms certificate in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. Cope[holding answer 9 January 1990]: It is difficult accurately to calculate the average amount of time spent processing a firearms certificate, as individual cases may require prolonged investigation.
However the police authority has informed me that the most recent agreed figures estimate the average amount of time spent by police officers in divisions on processing firearms certificates as follows:
- (a)An application—100 minutes
- (b) A variation—85 minutes
- (c) A renewal—40 minutes
The figures do not include the time spent by police officers in RUC headquarters, firearms branch.