§ Mr. Andrew TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the areas in which the security industry regulations will be rolled out, broken down by date; how many persons are employed as doorkeepers in each area; how many places on courses designed to provide qualifications for registration there are; how many of these currently employed have already qualified for registration; and what contingency arrangements are in place to meet shortfalls in supply of registered doorkeepers. [157835]
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 1 March 2004]: The table details the rollout schedule for door supervisor licensing by the Security Industry Authority (SIA), along with estimated numbers of persons working as door supervisors.
1145WInformation about the number of training places is not held centrally, however, the SIA has received assurances from the awarding bodies that there will be sufficient capacity to meet demand in any given region prior to the onset of licensing in that region.
As at 13 February 2004, 137 individuals have successfully completed the SIA approved training course in Hampshire and the Isle of White and it is estimated that a further 300 meet the SIA competency requirements by virtue of their existing recognised training qualifications. These figures are subject to constant change as the rollout progresses.
Responsibility for ensuring that there are sufficient door supervisors to meet demand lies with the leisure industry and door supervisor providers. Under the provisions of the Licensing Act 2003, local authorities will be able to require that a specified number of SIA licensed door supervisors will be on duty at specified times as a condition of a premises licence. The SIA are continuing their communications campaigns to ensure the industry are aware of their responsibilities, and to encourage the highest level of participation in the scheme. With the SIA, we will monitor carefully the impact of licensing on the supply of door supervisors.