Written question asked by Baroness Neville-Jones (Conservative), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord West of Spithead (Labour) on Tuesday, 5 January 2010.

Security Industry Authority

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many workers without the right to work in the United Kingdom have been issued with clearance by the Security Industry Authority in each year since its inception.

Answer: This information is not available in the form requested. In July 2007, the SIA introduced checks on the right to work of all non-European Economic Area (EEA) licence applicants. Licence applications from persons without the right to work are refused. At the same time the SIA undertook retrospective checks of the right to work of all existing non-EEA licence holders, as a result of which nearly 8,000 licences have been revoked. In addition, since September 2008, the SIA has checked the right to work of those non-EEA applicants who had a right to work which was current when they applied for a SIA licence but which would have expired before the expiry date of the SIA licence. As a result of this exercise over 6,250 licences have been revoked. The SIA issued its first licences to door supervisors in 2004. It commenced licensing security guards in 2006.

Secondary information