Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Government response to the Intelligence and Security Committee report entitled Extreme Right-Wing Terrorism, published on 30 March 2023, in what circumstances a person who is a member of a proscribed organisation could have their application for vetting clearance approved.

It is an offence under Section 11 of the Terrorism Act 2000 to belong to, or profess to belong to a proscribed organisation in the UK or overseas.

United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) provides national security clearances to government, including certain posts in policing. As part of this, UKSV assesses an individual’s vetting application and any related risks. Where an individual is known to have or has declared affiliations or membership to a proscribed organisation, their application for national security vetting will not be approved.

UKSV and government organisations have ongoing controls in place to manage staff and review their security clearances. These include annual reviews of security clearances for higher level clearance holders, change of circumstances forms, and additional reporting mechanisms through which concerns may be raised for all clearance holders. If subsequently there are security concerns relating either to an individual’s involvement with, or connections to proscribed organisations, their clearance will be withdrawn.