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Northern Ireland Office

Answer

Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) contractors, (b) sub- contractors and (c) their employees have (i) been refused and (ii) had withdrawn security clearance to work in prison and security force establishments in each year since 2000, to date. [195051] Mr. Pearson: Statistics for contractors who have been refused security clearance by the Northern Ireland Prison Service from 2000 to 2004 are as follows. _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Security clearance refusals 2000 4 2001 5 2002 1 2003 9 2004 29 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. The increase in the number of refused applications is due to some applicants not disclosing all previous convictions. The PSNI does not vet companies for security clearance but does vet individuals that companies propose to employ on police sites. The following table provides a breakdown of the 453 individuals who have been refused clearance to work on police sites since 2000: _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Security clearance refusals 2000 46 2001 75 2002 62 2003 142 2004 (to 27 October) 128 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. The PSNI do not keep a separate record of contractor employees whose clearance has been withdrawn. Statistics are not available separately for contractors, sub-contractors or employees nor for the number of security clearance applications withdrawn. Producing such figures would incur disproportionate costs. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence has also advised me that for the year 2004 to date there were 1,519 applications for contractor's clearance on to security force establishments with 42 denials. Figures prior to that year are not readily available and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

195051; 426 c329-30W

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Contracts Northern Ireland Police Prisons Police Service of Northern Ireland Vetting Security Northern Ireland Prison Service

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk