SIA Chairman Welcomes Issue of Consultation Paper

29 August 2006: The Northern Ireland Office today issued a public Consultation Paper to explore the options for regulating the private security industry in Northern Ireland. Of the four options outlined in the paper, Option 3 explores the possibility of extending the remit of the Security Industry Authority (SIA) to Northern Ireland.

Attending the Belfast launch of the Consultation Paper, SIA Acting Chairman, Robin Dahlberg, met with Paul Goggins MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and representatives from the Northern Ireland Security Guarding Regional Committee of the British Security Industry Association.

Welcoming the consultation document, Robin Dahlberg, SIA Acting Chairman said:

"I'm pleased the SIA's tremendous progress in raising standards within the private security industry in England, Wales, and soon, Scotland, has been recognised, and that the Northern Ireland Office considers the SIA to be the most efficient, cost-effective and satisfactory option for regulation in Northern Ireland.

We are currently working with the Scottish Executive to roll-out licensing in Scotland during 2007. Given the opportunity, we would welcome the prospect of working with businesses in Northern Ireland to introduce SIA licensing and the Approved Contractor Scheme, thereby creating a single set of UK-wide industry standards."