Process for renewal of firearms licences

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WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE CHAIRMAN OF COMITÉ DES CONNÉTABLES BY DEPUTY G.C.L. BAUDAINS OF ST. CLEMENT

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 14th MAY 2013

Question

Would the Chairman advise:

1. the current time taken to process the renewal of a firearms licence together with a breakdown of the time taken at each stage;
2. what level of insurance cover is currently required, who determined this level to be appropriate and would he provide details of how this figure was calculated ; and,
3. what percentage, if any, of firearms certificate holders are usually consulted regarding insurance and similar issues?

Answer

1. The time required to process the renewal of a firearms licence will vary according to the complexity of the application.

When  an application  form  is received, it  is checked to ensure it  is complete and all information has been provided including the reference forms from the 2 referees. Police record checks are undertaken on both the applicant and on the 2 referees and the results are reported to the Connétable . It is expected that the result of these checks will usually be available within 3 weeks.

The Connétable will then determine the application which is likely to include meeting with the applicant and verifying the information provided in relation to the firearms and ammunition possessed by the applicant and their storage.

If the applicant is seeking permission for additional firearms and/or ammunition as part of the renewal then appropriate enquiries will have to be made so that the Connétable may determine the application.

It is expected that a straight forward renewal application should be determined within 6-8 weeks but a more complex application may take longer.

2. All persons engaged in shooting sports in Jersey should have third party public liability insurance cover.

Anyone participating in a shooting event on an authorised range will be covered for third party public liability under the auspices of their relevant Club or Association. This covers the use of target firearms for the disciplines of Rifle Shooting; Pistol Shooting; Muzzleloaders / Black Powder Shooting and Clay Target/Pigeon Shooting.

In addition, those carrying out vermin or pest control as a business will be covered by their relevant insurances, as  will  farmers /  growers carrying  out  pest control  on their  own property.

For any other person wishing to rough shoot, including vermin control, £10 million third party public liability insurance cover is now required. This level of cover has been recommended by the Firearms Law Liaison Group (FLLG) established by the Minister for Home Affairs as it is the standard cover provided by insurance policies offered by the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) or the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association (CPSA). Certificate holders who are members of the Jersey Rough Shooters Association' are provided with this insurance cover within the membership fee. A Connétable s may, however, accept cover of £2 million for a person who only rough shoots on his or her own land as this is the standard cover available through a household insurance policy.

3. The Minister for Home Affairs established the FLLG as a forum to discuss firearm issues with the Connétable s, the States Police and the shooting community. The shooting community is represented by the Jersey Firearms Council (JFC) which nominates two officers to serve on the FLLG. With some 35 affiliated clubs and associations, the JFC therefore represents the majority of firearm certificate holders in Jersey.

In relation to the proposal regarding insurance, this was originally put to the FLLG by the JFC representatives on behalf of the Rough Shooters. The JFC consulted with its member clubs and associations in 2011 who agreed the proposal that persons wishing to rough shoot should have third party public liability insurance and this was subsequently endorsed by the FLLG in early 2012.