Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to reduce the length of time taken to complete security vetting for Probation Service staff.

The checks that HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) undertake are required to assess individuals against a range of legislative requirements and security related factors that are pertinent to anyone working within a HMPPS environment. We are aware of an increase in onboarding timescales and are taking action to address this.

Both our third-party provider Sopra Steria Ltd (SSL) and HMPPS are employing flexible resource allocation and overtime to mitigate delays. Recruitment to the vetting team has also been prioritised, and the additional resource is now helping to reduce the backlog of cases awaiting clearance. HMPPS is working with SSL and providers to improve assessment of future recruitment activity, to ensure any spikes or increases can be managed appropriately.

Additionally, HMPPS is exploring all available opportunities for efficiencies, including by digitalising processes that were previously manual and conducting vetting checks in parallel with other parts of the onboarding process wherever possible.

We are taking all available opportunities to improve the timeliness of our vetting and onboarding process without compromising the safety and security of the organisation.