The SIA, which operates under the Home Secretary’s purview as set out in the Private Security Industry Act 2001, plays a key role in licensing individuals and businesses in the private security industry to ensure they meet required standards
The UK’s Security Industry Authority (SIA), the body responsible for regulating the private security sector, will now come under the direct portfolio of Dan Jarvis, Minister of State for Security, within the Home Office. The move is aimed at enhancing coordination and strengthening oversight of both existing regulatory responsibilities and upcoming security measures.
The SIA, which operates under the Home Secretary’s purview as set out in the Private Security Industry Act 2001, plays a key role in licensing individuals and businesses in the private security industry to ensure they meet required standards.
Reacting to the development, Heather Baily, chair of the SIA, and Michelle Russell, chief executive of the SIA, expressed their support for the change. In a joint statement, they said: “We very much welcome this move as it ensures that both functions of the SIA, which include the existing regulation of the private security industry and the new Martyn’s Law regulator function, complement each other. This will improve protective security and security standards at venues across the UK.”
Martyn’s Law, named in memory of Martyn Hett who was among the victims of the 2017 Manchester Arena attack, is set to introduce new legal duties on venue operators to enhance preparedness against terrorist threats.
Baily and Russell also welcomed the government’s plans to revisit two key recommendations from the Manchester Arena Inquiry. “We also welcome the government’s intention to review the Manchester Arena Inquiry’s monitored recommendation 7 (removing the in-house licensing exemption) and monitored recommendation 8 (the introduction of business licensing) in the coming weeks,” they noted.
The SIA leadership underscored their commitment to working closely with the Home Office, the private security industry, and relevant stakeholders to support national security objectives. “We look forward to working with the Home Office and the UK private security industry and stakeholders to support the government’s missions to make the UK safer from terrorism and ‘taking back our streets’,” the statement added.
The restructuring is expected to streamline regulatory functions and reinforce the government’s broader efforts to raise security standards across public venues and private sector operations in the UK.