§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will make a statement on progress on the transfer of services previously provided by the Security Facilities Executive. [87774]
§ Mr. KilfoyleThe Security Facilities Executive closed as an Agency on 30 June 1998 and became a Division of the Cabinet Office—Security Facilities Division (SFD).
The security guarding services are gradually being transferred to their home departments and are either being taken in-house or market tested (TUPE will apply). 339 Custody Guards have already transferred and the remaining 251 will transfer from SFD by the end of this calendar year.
Assessment and development of security equipment and explosive protection advice is planned to transfer to the Home Office (Police Scientific Development Branch) later this year. The remaining services which mainly comprise the manufacture, installation and maintenance of the AC12 alarm system and associated security devices and the consultancy advice to customers are being considered for a public private partnership.