Draft Private Security Industry (Licence Fees) Order 2020

Monday 23rd March 2020 General Committees

The Committee consisted of the following Members:

Chair: Sir Charles Walker

Champion, Sarah (Rotherham) (Lab)

Cooper, Yvette (Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford) (Lab)

† Elmore, Chris (Ogmore) (Lab)

† Foster, Kevin (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department)

Green, Kate (Stretford and Urmston) (Lab)

Griffith, Andrew (Arundel and South Downs) (Con)

† Haigh, Louise (Sheffield, Heeley) (Lab)

McDonald, Stuart C. (Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East) (SNP)

† Pursglove, Tom (Corby) (Con)

† Saxby, Selaine (North Devon) (Con)

Sheerman, Mr Barry (Huddersfield) (Lab/Co-op)

† Simmonds, David (Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner) (Con)

Sturdy, Julian (York Outer) (Con)

† Thomas, Derek (St Ives) (Con)

Vickers, Matt (Stockton South) (Con)

† Wood, Mike (Dudley South) (Con)

Young, Jacob (Redcar) (Con)

Kenneth Fox, Committee Clerk

† attended the Committee

Fifth Delegated Legislation Committee

Monday 23 March 2020

[Sir Charles Walker in the Chair]

Draft Private Security Industry (Licence Fees) Order 2020

18:00

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Kevin Foster)]

I beg to move,

That the Committee has considered the draft Private Security Industry (Licence Fees) Order 2020.

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Charles. The draft order was laid before the House on 3 February. Under the Private Security Industry Act 2001, the Secretary of State has the power to prescribe a licence application fee payable to the Security Industry Authority. The order is a financial administrative measure that will enable the Secretary of State to prescribe fees at a level that takes into account past deficits and current costs. The SIA individual licence is valid for three years, and the fee is calculated on a three-year cycle. Based on that cycle, the SIA has a fluctuating income pattern whereby it anticipates a deficit in one year in every three. None the less, the SIA’s fees should meet the full costs of the service. The order will allow the SIA to make a surplus in two of the years to offset the deficit made in the first year, and thereby to break even over the three-year cycle.

As I said, the draft order was laid in Parliament on 3 February, and if accepted and made, it will come into force on 1 April 2020. I commend the order to the Committee.

18:01

[Louise Haigh (Sheffield, Heeley) (Lab)]

The Opposition are happy to support the order. May I place on the record our willingness and keenness to support the Government to ensure that we can pass statutory instruments like this in the future without having to gather in Committee, so that the staff and we can socially distance?

Question put and agreed to.

18:01

Committee rose.