Shotgun Certificates (1047A/23)
Request
I would like to make an FOI request regarding the following:
1) The number of applications for shotgun certificates over the last 5 years. (broken down by year)
2) The number of rejected shotgun certificate applications over the last 5 years. (broken down by year)
3) The number of FAC applications made over the last 5 years. (broken down by year)
4) The number of rejected FAC applications over the last 5 years. (broken down by year)
5) The number of violent crimes committed by persons holding either, or both a firearm certificate or Shotgun certificate in the last 5 years at the time of the offence. (broken down by year)
6) The current total number of shotgun certificate holders in the west midlands area as of 2023.
7) The current total number of firearm certificate holders in the west midlands area as of 2023.
Response
Our data are not organised in such a way as to allow us to provide this information within the appropriate (cost) limit within the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act (see ‘Reason for Decision’ below).
Although excess cost removes the force’s obligations under the Freedom of Information Act, as a gesture of goodwill I have supplied information, relative to your request, retrieved before it was realised that the fees limit would be exceeded (see attached). I trust this is helpful, but it does not affect our legal right to rely on the fees regulations for the remainder of the request.
REASON FOR DECISION
Please note that researching each individual case would exceed the appropriate limit (FOIA, s.12).
In relation to question 5 – We would need to conduct a manual review of each file which at 5 minutes for each file to review it would equate to in excess of 770 hours and will exceed the FOI time limit.
The cost of compliance with the whole of your request is above the amount to which we are legally required to respond, i.e. the cost of locating and retrieving the information would exceed the appropriate costs limit under section 12(1) of the FOI Act 2000. For West Midlands Police, the appropriate limit is set at £450, as prescribed by the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004, S.I. 3244.