§ The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (Jane Kennedy)My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, in a written ministerial statement on 12 December 2002,Official Report, col. 32WS, announced a thorough and comprehensive review of security vetting arrangements in Northern Ireland.
I am glad to report that an initial programme of reform is underway to improve the effectiveness of current protective security arrangements across the Northern Ireland Office, the Northern Ireland Departments, PSNI, and associated bodies. These changes will take some months to implement in full.
This programme is identifying vulnerabilities and establishing appropriate protective security arrangements to prevent disruption or compromise. These arrangements include where necessary the security clearance of staff. These arrangements are in accordance with recognised best practice and normal government requirements.
In particular, in future applicants for posts in the Northern Ireland Civil Service will undergo a basic check procedure, designed to ensure that they are adequately identified; and will be asked to declare any unspent criminal records. This will bring to an end the existing practice of security vetting all administrative applicants. All those staff occupying, or who are to occupy, posts in specific areas identified in the programme of reform as requiring security clearance on grounds of national security, will be required to undergo national security vetting, to the appropriate level, in accordance with stated Government policy.
These protective security arrangements will be kept under regular review. Future security vetting policy changes will be screened for their impact on equality, and where necessary subject to formal equality impact assessment.
I am confident that these steps will help to safeguard the essential functions of government in Northern Ireland; protect the public from risk, and meet human rights and equality obligations.
The work of the review will carry on into next year; I will make further statements as and when I reach decisions on recommendations made to me.