Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) mandatory and (b) voluntary registration processes are in place for businesses seeking to operate within the private security sector.

The Security Industry Authority (SIA) is a Home Office arm’s length body established by the Private Security Industry Act 2001 (PSIA) as the regulator of the private security industry. The SIA sets standards and licenses individuals seeking to perform certain licensable roles in private security. Licensing ensures individuals are appropriately trained, qualified, and vetted to ensure that they are ‘fit and proper’ to hold a licence.

Businesses seeking to supply private security operatives under a contract for services must ensure all their partners, directors, managers and supervisors are licensed by the SIA, as well as any frontline staff who perform certain security roles specified in the Act (for example door supervisors and security guards).

It is a criminal offence under s.3 of the PSIA for a person to engage in licensable conduct without a licence, and an offence under s.5 of that Act for a business to supply unlicensed security operatives to perform licensable activities.

Businesses can also choose to sign up to the SIA’s voluntary quality assurance scheme, the Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS).