LICENSING FEES

The now HSE run licensing scheme for adventure activity providers are putting up the cost of this inspection scheme above the rate of inflation.

I believe that he scheme is necessary and wish it had the teeth to deal with the loopholes that exist but I do query where the money goes.

I am a business that offers adventure activities to under 18's, so, I must have a license.

The new rate will be £715 for the inspection, plus and hourly charge (last inspection £30 per hour), for a license that for most is awarded for two years. This is equivalent to approximately £35 per month.

What does the industry and the provider get for this generous payment?

The provider gets a license on a rather nice piece of non standard sized card and the industry gets a minimum standards watchdog.

This seems rather expensive.

One wonders what the fee of £715 is for, as payment per hour is charged at inspection.... Admin, certification, ermmmmm...... I can produce a rather lovely first aid certificate and I charge £2.50 pp.

It is clear that the licensing scheme required cash at start up to fund the development of the scheme but surely the scheme is now fully operational with, if not all, most wrinkles ironed out. So, why the increasing fee?

I have no answers and feel that the fees will continue to increase as the HSE move to make the scheme self funding.

I think that all of us in general are getting fed up with being taxed or fined or over charged at every turn. Parking at £4 per hour in London, speed cameras everwhere and a massive proliferation in stealth taxes.

It would be wrong not to question the demand on our purse...

Comments

[welshlamb]

I have had a think about this and have decided that this s a stealth tax, now raised to fund the beauracracy that has now been swallowed whole by an even greater paper pushing executive.

I would be happy to pay the £35 per hour for the inspection plus ONE MORE hour, not spent at my premises, to pay for the admin to write up the inspection and press the button that prints off my certificate.

If anyone says to me 'you make money out of each child visit and the fee is not that great' I say in return 'what you are suggesting then is that this is a tax on my business....'. I have had this discussion.