SIR - I was intrerested to read your news Update item ‘Home Office backs ACS but detail yet to emerge' (SMT, February 2005, ). There is mention of ‘Operation Forewarn', wherein Security Industry Authority (SIA) investigators have been visiting those companies the Regulator deemed to be at "high risk" of not making the 20 March cut-off date for licensing.

As I write, something in the region of 2,500 security companies are employing in excess of 125,000 individuals and yet the SIA, to date, has only visited 71 re: compliance. Again, as I write - on 20 February - there are 86,361 individuals qualified but only 47,732 are on the SIA's system. Of that number, a mere 29.9% have actually been granted a licence.

In other words, there is a serious backlog. Someone needed to do something prior to Monday 20 March. Are we really expected to make every qualified security officer who is not in possession of a licence redundant?

There needs to be some common sense and leadership on this matter from the Government. Or is it simply a case of us leaving everything up to the Human Rights brigade and the lawyers?

The whole reasoning behind SIA licensing was to raise standards in the industry and move it forward. Alas, the whole thing is beginning to look like another mess courtesy of the Government. What happens if - God forbid - there should be another terrorist attack on the UK mainland? Are our operatives supposed to just shrug their shoulders and state, meekly: "Sorry. I don't have a licence. I can't help you"?

Can we not inject a little realism into proceedings, please?

John Legge Managing Director Whitehall Security Services

Source

SMT