Dear David
Assessment of Firearm and Shotgun Certificate Statistics
Thank you for the correspondence outlining the actions that have been taken to address the requirements in Assessment Report number 217 on Firearm and Shotgun Certificates in England and Wales.
On behalf of the Board of the Statistics Authority, I have reviewed these on the advice of the Assessment team and I am pleased to confirm the continued designation of Firearm and Shotgun Certificates in England and Wales. I am pleased that this now concludes our assessment of Home Office’s police statistics as reported in Assessment Report number 217.
I commend the efforts by the statistics team to increase the public value of the statistics, by including additional analysis to meet user needs identified by their proactive engagement, and I was pleased to hear of the unsolicited positive feedback the team had from users in response. I also welcome the continued efforts of the team to assure the quality of the source data from police forces and the National Firearms Licensing Management System, and to communicate their judgements about the quality of statistics for users. I know that as part of this process, your team has been considering any implications for the quality of the statistics of HMIC’s report: Targeting the risk – An inspection of the efficiency and effectiveness of firearms licensing in police forces in England and Wales and has told us that they will
continue to keep this under review.
National Statistics status means that official statistics meet the highest standards of trustworthiness, quality and value and is something to be celebrated. We invite you to include a statement alongside the statistics which reflects the National Statistics status. You may wish to base your statement on the boilerplate text attached to this letter.
Please feel free to discuss any aspect of this with us at any time. I am copying this letter to John Pullinger, the National Statistician, to Mark Sedwill, Permanent Secretary to the Home Office, to Paul Lincoln, Director General for Home Office’s Crime, Policing and Fire Group
and to Deborah Aniyeloye.
Yours sincerely
Ed Humpherson