§ Patrick MercerTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what Transec's chain of command is; and how Transec's staff are(a) recruited and (b) vetted; [169968]
(2) if he will make a statement explaining the central command structure of Transec. [170061]
§ Mr. McNultyThe Department's Transport Security Directorate (Transec) is headed by a director supported by two divisional managers. The director reports direct to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on security matters, and to the Department's Director General for Railways, Aviation, Logistics, Maritime and Security on management issues. The director and her staff play a full and active role as part of the Whitehall counter-terrorist community working closely with colleagues in the police and other Government Departments.
Transec's staff is recruited in a variety of ways, depending on the job and the knowledge and skills needed to do it. Transec's staff includes career civil servants from the Department for Transport and other departments; people recruited through open competition who have relevant experience from industry and/or the security sector; and staff on secondment.
16WMembers of staff are subject to security vetting according to the nature of their work and the access they require to classified assets. The vetting is carried out in accordance with the rules set out in the Government's Manual of Protective Security.