Redesdale presses Clegg on doorstaff
Best Bar None (BBN) chairman Lord Redesdale has promoted the idea of a "halfway house to full self-regulation" of doorstaff in a letter to Nick Clegg.
It comes as trade bodies BII and Noctis, the body for late-night bar operators, promoted the idea of the two bodies taking a role in doorstaff licensing after the Security Industry Authority (SIA) is scrapped.
The letter from Redesdale, a Liberal Democrat peer, to the Deputy Prime Minister says "aspects" of the SIA's service "have become indispensable in helping the night time economy professionalise, and largely remove, the criminal elements".
He urges the Government to preserve a doorstaff licensing scheme. "Specifically, qualification achievement, Criminal Records Bureau and registration checks, and a national record of these, is still required."
Redesdale said the industry's "not yet mature enough to self regulate" so "criminal elements will quickly return".
"This will hamper the good progress we are making on self regulation more generally, including an enhanced role for door supervisors in the Home Office supported by the Best Bar None scheme.
"Regulation needn't be carried out by a QUANGO or new body; however, there are existing authorities in the field who can conduct this service, more cheaply and efficiently.
"This could be constructed and described as a halfway house to full self-regulation."
Plans for the way forward were discussed at a meeting with stakeholders last week.
Self regulation
BII chief Neil Robertson said: "It looks like they've started to accept the principle that there needs to be some sort of self regulation and look at where self regulation might work."
The BII already has a qualifications programme for doorstaff and is looking to work with Noctis.
Robertson added: "We have been practicing self regulation for a while with PASS, Best Bar None, that kind of thing. Our industry is maturing and we are being taken seriously."
Last week SIA chief Bill Butler said they'd be no significant changes to doorstaff licensing before the London 2012 Olympics — and the change could be completed by 2014.
