HC Deb 20 February 1990 vol 167 c676W
Mr. George

To ask the Secretary of Defence if he will list the names of all the private security firms currently employed by his Department, the number of employees for each firm on the contract, the total value of each contract and the total value of all contracts for each financial year since 1984–85.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

The following private security firms are employed by the Ministry of Defence.

Number of Contracts
Airwork Ltd.1 1
C. J. Bell 1
Bells (Group Services) Ltd. 1
Burns International Security Services (UK) Ltd. 6
Centuryan Security Ltd. 5
Custodian Security Guards Ltd. 1
Chubb Wardens Ltd. 1
CSE Aviation Ltd.1
Grampian Specialist Dogs 1
Medway (Chatham) Dock Company Ltd. 1
Plessey Assessment Services Ltd.1 1
Reliance Security Services Ltd. 6
RCO Contract Services Ltd. 1
Securiguard Services Ltd. 9
Securiguard Services (Southern) Ltd. 3
Securi-Guard (South West) Ltd. 4
Securicor Ltd. 2
Serco Ltd.1 3
Shorrocks Guards Ltd. 2
1Multiactivity contracts where security is only one element.

The total value of contracts for each financial year since 1984–85 is as follows:

£000
1984–85 350
1985–86 600
1986–87 1,100
1987–88 1,350
1988–89 1,900
1989–90 4,418

We would not wish to give information on the numbers of people employed on each contract, on security grounds. We would regard the value of each contract as commercially-in-confidence.

Pursuant to my answer to the hon. Member of 14 February, Official Report,column 311, I am afraid that, owing to an element of double counting that was not previously identified, the figure given for the number of private security firms employed at present was incorrect. The true number of firms is 19, not 21. Figures for earlier years may also be affected.