Yes, it will affect YOU as well –

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/750236

There is a proposal in government to move shotguns into the Section 1 (Firearms) licensing regime. This would involve a great deal of extra work for the police as 3/4 of all certificates are for shotguns, and it takes more than twice as much effort to administer a firearm certificate as it does a shotgun certificate.

Now, you may not have a shotgun certifiicate, but the great amount of extra work the police will have to do to administer such a massive change WILL slow down (what? even more?) the current FAC system. It will also involve more cost – and you know where that will land.

Of course if you have a shotgun certificate you can see how much this will affect you – applying for variations to acquire new ones, having your ammunition listed and limited, maybe having to join an official shotgun club and so on.

PLEASE sign the above petition at the very least, but better still write to your MP – matters are often decided on the size of their “postbag.” from those who employ them to represent them in Parliament – YOU.

If you write, point out the large amount of extra work it will involve the police in, and the extra bureaucracy to little or no effect – the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show 1 offence involving guns for every 1,912 Section 1 certificates, yet 1 offence for every  2,214  Section 2 (shotgun) certificates. This demonstrates that (if we are to assume that licensing is to protect the public,) then section 2 (shotguns) is the slightly more efficient system in this respect. It also involves far less bureaucracy for both the sports shooter and the police.

Ask your MP to speak to the policing minister about your concerns – but ALWAYS be polite – never rant, insult or ask hypothetical questions.

There’s an interesting map showing how many, and what proportion of voters have signed this petition in each constituency here – https://petitionmap.unboxedconsulting.com/?petition=750236