§ Mr. PaiceTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the project to develop a National Firearms Database was first initiated; when the system was completed and in operation; and what the total cost was of the project. [184901]
§ Caroline Flint[holding answer 19 July 2004]The requirement under section 39 of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 for a central register of all persons who have applied for and been granted or refused a firearm or shot gun certificate is now being taken forward as part of a National Firearms Licensing Management System (NFLMS). I understand from the Police Information Technology Organisation that this project was initiated in September 2002. It is scheduled to be ready for service at the end of August 2004. The migration of individual force records from their local systems to NFLMS will take about six months to include all forces. The final cost of the project will not be available before then.