§ Mr. Hoyleasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in the discussions that have taken place with the private security industry, he has been able to establish any procedure providing for checks on the background of security guards to ensure that they are fit persons without criminal records.
§ Mr. MayhewNo. Successive Administations have taken the view that this would not be a proper use of criminal records maintained by the police.
§ Mr. Hoyleasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to regulate the position of private security firms and make provision as to the character of the employers and employees and the minimum capital a company requires before it can operate as a security company.
§ Mr. MayhewNo. As my right hon. Friend explained in answer to the question by the hon. Member for Walsall, South (Mr. Winnick) on 11 December 1980, we think that a case has not been made out for statutory control of the private security industry, and that it is preferable to support and encourage self-regulation.—[Vol. 12, c.712.]
§ Mr. Hoyleasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been achieved in obtaining self-regulation in the private security industry since the publication of the consultative paper; and if he will make available any guidelines or codes of practice which exist.
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§ Mr. MayhewThe British Security Industry Association is setting up an inspectorate to oversee the pre-employment screening and induction training of member companies, and the International Professional Security Association is producing a code of practice for their members. It is for the two organisations to decide how far to make available information on these matters.