Written question asked by Lord Sheikh (Conservative), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Baroness Neville-Jones (Conservative) on Wednesday, 24 November 2010.

Security Industry

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to increase membership of the leisure security industry among small and medium-sized enterprises.

Answer: The Security Industry Authority (SIA) was set up under the Private Security Industry Act 2001 to drive out criminality and raise standards in the private security industry, and is responsible for the mandatory licensing of individuals working in it. Before the SIA will grant a licence, it carries out criminal record and other checks to establish that the applicant has the required training and qualifications. One of the sectors where a licence is required under the 2001 Act is door supervision. Decisions on the employment of door supervisors and other private security industry personnel are a matter for individual businesses, subject to compliance with any legal requirements.

Secondary information