Deputy First Minister, Jim Wallace, announced in Edinburgh on 25 March that the Scottish Executive has approved proposals to regulate the private security industry in Scotland and to invite the Security Industry Authority to extend its remit to cover Scotland.
Speaking in Edinburgh, SIA Chairman Molly Meacher welcomed the proposal and said:
“I am delighted at the prospect of working with Scotland. The SIA will cover Scotland, England and Wales, working to improve standards across the whole security industry in Britain.
“We look forward to working with Scottish representatives to develop policy. We will work together with the industry to raise professionalism and to enhance the protection of the public by ensuring that those with criminal intent are not employed in the industry.
“This is an excellent opportunity to further the interest of the security industry throughout the whole of Britain by bringing consistency of conditions, training, standards and costs and enabling an SIA licence to be valid anywhere in Great Britain.”
The Executive’s announcement follows responses to a consultation paper issued in September 2001. The responses displayed widespread support from the police, local government, the public and industry.
An amendment to the Private Security Industry Act 2001 will be required and consequential amendments to reflect the Scottish legal system.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
1. Jim Wallace and Molly Meacher were present at the BSIA Scottish Security Officer Awards 2003 at the Scottish Agricultural Rural Development Centre, Edinburgh.
2. The SIA will be officially launched on 2 April 2003 at the Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre, Westminster. The government established the SIA with two objectives: to raise standards throughout the private security industry and to address the criminality within the industry.
3. The designated sectors to be licensed are:* Door supervisors* Wheel clampers on private ground* Manned guards – including cash-in-transit guards and personal protection * Security consultants
* Private investigators.
4. The main SIA tasks are:* License individual security employees and to operate and approved companies scheme that will ensure training, recruitment, supervision and quality to conform to SIA standards.* Keep under review the private security industry and the operation of legislative framework.* Monitor the activities and effectiveness of those working in the industry.* Ensure SIA licences are carried and displayed.* Work with key groups within the industry to approve standards of conduct, further develop training and supervision of standards within the industry.
* Raise the profile of the security industry.
5. The SIA is establishing competency criteria which will have to be met by every licence applicant. The SIA will also establish a criminality criterion designed to exclude those with a criminal intent from working in the industry.
Issued by the Security Industry Authority Communications Office
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