Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the statement by Lord Bates on 26 March (HL Deb, cols 1528–9) that licensing for private investigators would be introduced early in the next Parliament, what is the timetable for the introduction of licensing for private investigators.

The Government is committed to ensuring the integrity of the private security industry and this includes private investigators.

In July, the Government committed to a review (formerly triennial review) of the Security Industry Authority. That review may make further recommendations for legislative change which the Government will then consider.