Security Industry Authority Licensing Regulations within the Industry

To: The Prime Minister Mr. Tony Blair, Home Secretary Mr. Charles Clarke

We, the undersigned, are greatly concerned about the lack of consultation that the Security Industry Authority (SIA), have imposed upon the Close Protection and Surveillance Industry regarding licenses. Though this is not a petition to ban the license outright and we do acknowledge and support the fact that our industry must be regulated, we are concerned however, as to the manner in which the SIA are making constantly changing demands regarding the criteria, to which licenses will be issued.

Some of these criteria are unachievable, such as providing Criminal Records Bureau checks to persons who have worked abroad within the past 5 years even in Third World and hostile countries such as Iraq where there are no facilities to obtain one.

The SIA have set a deadline date of 20th March 2006 for up to 10,000 operatives to gain their license, or face prosecution up to 6 months imprisonment or up to 5000 fine. The SIA are demanding payment of 190 per license, which we would like to see justified, and an explanation as to why some applicants have to pay twice if their original application is denied due to simple errors such as spelling mistakes.

Miss Sue Sheath , SIA, Head of Investigation, Wales, has recently stated that there are only 8 licenses out of thousands of registered operatives that been issued to date.

The SIA will bring our industry to a standstill knowing that 10,000 personnel would no longer be available to work within the United Kingdom, resulting in foreign nationals who provide protection coming into the United Kingdom, and operating without licenses, which would also be illegal. We believe that members within our industry should be treated fairly, after all, almost all have served our country in the armed forces and serve it still as civilian security operatives in hostile environments such as Iraq and Afghanistan.

A consulting group was set up to set the standards for the SIA, which consisted of personnel who operate in the close protection industry. This committee has now been excluded from all involvement regarding the ad hoc decisions the SIA are now making with no apparent reason given. The personnel that are heading licensing have no Close Protection or Surveillance experience and do not understand the protocols and disciplines of our industry.

The SIA is answerable only to the Home Secretary. We feel that the Department of Trade & Industry should be made responsible for regulating our industry as we serve high ranking officials such as foreign Royal Families, diplomats, CEOs and executives of the worlds largest corporations. If the SIA continue to enforce their regulations and adhere to their unworkable deadlines, these clients will be without the security services we provide leaving many of them vulnerable.

We would like this petition to be discussed in Parliament.