Security Authority Chief quits amid vetting error

The head of the Security Industry Authority quit today after it hired 38 agency staff without properly vetting them.

Under Home Office guidance, the Security Industry Authority (SIA) is required to ensure all of its staff are checked.

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But MPs were told the agency staff had not received "appropriate security clearance" before starting work at the SIA.

In a statement on the SIA's website, it was confirmed chief executive Mike Wilson would stand down next week.

In a written statement, junior Home Office minister Alan Campbell said: "We have become aware of some failings in the SIA's compliance with Home Office requirements for security clearance for SIA employees.

"Home Office guidance issued to the SIA stipulates that no person should be employed, in a permanent or temporary capacity, without appropriate confirmed security clearance.

"All permanent SIA staff have confirmed security clearance.

"It became clear, however, that some agency workers had not received appropriate security clearance before commencing employment with the SIA."

Mr Campbell said the 38 agency staff were "removed from SIA premises and had all access to SIA systems withdrawn" while security checks were carried out.

At 9am this morning, he said, 32 had received clearance and the remaining six were pending.

Mr Campbell ordered a review of a "targeted sample of decisions taken by any individual for whom the SIA did not have confirmed security clearance".

The failings came to light during a review carried out following a critical report by the Government's auditors.

The SIA was found to be more than £17m over budget by the National Audit Office earlier this month.

The body was at the centre of a scandal last year when it emerged thousands of illegal immigrants had been given licences to work as security staff.

Some illegal workers even ended up with jobs at Whitehall departments, with one becoming a security official at the Home Office and another guarding the Prime Minister's car while it was repaired.

In a statement announcing the resignation, SIA chairman Ruth Henig said: "Mike, the SIA Board and I came to the mutual agreement that Mike would leave the SIA next week. The Board and I are grateful to him for all his hard work and dedication to the development of the SIA in the past year and we wish him well.

"An interim chief executive will join us shortly until a permanent chief executive is recruited in the New Year.

"Our delivery to our stakeholders will not be disrupted. Working closely with the industry and our other partners, we will continue to contribute to public protection through regulation."

Tories said the blunder showed Home Secretary Jacqui Smith had been "staggeringly complacent" about security and accused ministers of "ducking" responsibility.

Shadow home secretary Dominic Grieve said: "Yet again an official takes responsibility while the minister ducks it."

He said: "This is a major breach of one of the pillars of our security apparatus and the second time it has happened on this Home Secretary's watch.

"Yet again she has been found trying to bury bad news rather than address the root of the problem.

"Thirty-eight officials have not been properly vetted at the very body hired to license those who can hold security positions in this country.

"And the Home Secretary has absolutely no idea how many licence applications this could have affected."

He added: "This Home Secretary has been so fixated on gesture politics, like ID cards and 42 days, that she has been staggeringly complacent when it comes to getting a grip on basic elements of security policy that are vital to protecting the public."

Former shadow home secretary David Davis said: "It is one of the more disreputable tactics of this Government to try and slip out written statements and other publications about highly controversial issues late in the day, and particularly late on Thursday."

"On November 13 last year, the Home Secretary was forced to make a statement about significant failures in the operation of the SIA in which licences had been issued to people who did not have the right to work in the UK, let alone to work in the security industry.

"Some of these were provided to guard Metropolitan Police and other sensitive locations.

"We now find the astonishing news of what appears to be the de facto dismissal of the chief executive of the SIA after further breaches have been found, this time within the SIA, in which people were employed without appropriate security clearance.

"It is frankly astounding that the checks carried out preceding the statement almost a year ago and relating to problems over at least the previous six months did not do enough to ensure the public got proper protection."