§ Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to regulate the recruitment of security guards and night club bouncers; and if he will make a statement. [8004]
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§ Mr. MichaelWe intend to introduce statutory regulation of the private security industry. We will not be able to bring forward legislation in our first year of office, but will use the time to consult with the industry and others on the best way to provide a comprehensive, effective and streamlined system. We want to look beyond the narrow proposals put forward by the previous Government, which focused only on licensing for the contract guarding sector of the industry. In Opposition, we welcomed the recommendations of the Home Affairs Select Committee on regulation. However, the Committee did not offer a detailed blueprint and we will therefore consider the industry as a whole to decide what action is needed. Recruitment of guards and bouncers will certainly be considered as part of this process.