Government: doorstaff licensing should be self-regulating

The Government believes the time is right to give the private security industry more responsibility for regulating itself, in the wake of the Security Industry Authority being axed.

The statement came in a letter from Home Office minister Lynne Featherstone to Michael Kheng of Lincolnshire-based operator Kurnia, winner of the award for most responsible pub company at the 2010 Responsible Drinks Retailing Awards.

The Government announced last month the SIA, which issues doorstaff licences, would be phased out after the 2012 Olympics.

"The private security industry has matured in the six years since SIA regulation began in England and Wales," she said. "We believe the time is now right to give the private security industry more responsibility for regulating itself and to do this through a phased transition to a new regulatory regime."

"The full details of this have not yet been decided, but we propose that employers in the security industry should take responsibility for making their own recruitment decisions, in the same way as the employers of other professions.

"There are a number of security industry bodies that are in a position to contribute and we are already working with the industry to ensure a smooth transition to the new regulatory regime.

"We are also working with other key stakeholders including the police, local authorities and other law enforcement agencies to strengthen their relationships with the security industry."

Featherstone said that the SIA had been axed because "there was no evidence that the functions of the SIA needed to be performed by a public body ss it did not meet the three tests of performing a technical function, impartiality and establishing facts transparently".

Concerns​

Kheng said he had serious concerns about the future regulation of doorstaff. "The SIA was established six years ago for a reason and has brought about a dramatic change in the security industry.

"Why are they getting rid of it if it made a difference?"

There seem to be two options for the future of regulating doorstaff — a local authority-led regime or trade bodies such as Noctis and BII getting involved.

"I would imagine the trade bodies taking it on would be costly for them," said Kheng. "And if each local authority has its own fees and training schedule then it could be a nightmare."