Asked by: Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many people employed by the private sector are currently awaiting security vetting by United Kingdom Security Vetting.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
As Minister for State at the Cabinet Office I am able to provide a response in relation to National Security Vetting (NSV). UKSV acts as the service provider for NSV across His Majesty’s Government (HMG). NSV remains a separate and distinct process to recruitment and onboarding processes and provides an additional personnel assurance within both public and private sector for roles and projects that require access to the sensitive assets and Protectively Marked Materials (PMM).
The government does not comment on the workings of the NSV process at the strategic or tactical level for security reasons and thereby details of numbers awaiting NSV cannot be shared. However the following information may be useful.
The Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) is not a level of NSV, nor conducted by United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV); it is a separate pre-employment check conducted locally by recruiting departments. As this is a localised departmental element, no central record of data for BPSS is held within HMG at this time.
Following a stabilisation programme initiated in 2023, there have been sustained and stable improvements in performance against Key Performance Indicators (KPI) across all service levels of National Security Vetting clearances which includes Counter Terrorist Check (CTC), Security Check (SC) and Developed Vetting (DV). Across core services:
Accreditation Checks (AC), a level of NSV, primarily used by the aviation industry, are being completed in five days or less.
The KPIs for both CTC and SC are 25 days, on 29th February 2024 96% of cases were being processed within that time frame.
The KPI for DV is 95 days; on 29th February 2024 93.48% of initial DV cases were being processed within that time frame.The Performance Indicator for DV Renewals is also 95 days; on 29th February 2024 13.78% of these cases were being processed within that time frame. However we expect that DV renewals submitted from 1st April 2024 will be delivered within the KPI of 95 days.
The requirements for security cleared roles across HMG vary and are set by individual department and partner agencies dependent on duties and level of access to Protectively Marked Materials (PMM). It is, therefore, not possible to provide confirmation of the performance of NSV in relation to specific roles. In line with the practice followed by successive administrations, the Government does not otherwise comment on security matters, including average actual processing times.
Correspondence Nov. 27 2023
Committee: Public Accounts CommitteeFound: Chief Security Officer, Government Security Function, Cabinet Office, re Performance of the UK Security Vetting
May. 03 2024
Source Page: National Crime Agency inspection: Vetting and anti-corruption part 2. How effective is the National Crime Agency at dealing with corruption? 23p.Found: National Crime Agency inspection: Vetting and anti-corruption part 2.
Asked by: Siobhain McDonagh (Labour - Mitcham and Morden)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of people who applied to join Border Force failed (a) vetting and (b) additional security checks vetting in each year since 2015.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
We are not able to share any data on vetting or additional security check failures as this is never released at a department level as it would provide insights into security controls.
Correspondence Dec. 11 2023
Committee: Public Accounts CommitteeFound: Chisholm, Civil Service Chief Operating Officer and Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary, re update on Vetting
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many and what proportion of clearances were processed by United Kingdom Security Vetting within 95 days in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
In December 2023, United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) processed 91.22% of routine initial Developed Vetting cases in 95 days and 8.62% of Developed Vetting review cases. For routine Security Check (SC)/Counter Terrorism Check (CTC) clearances UKSV completed 95.1% of routine cases within 25 days.
In 2023, UKSV implemented a stabilisation programme which included an increase in headcount. Under Ministerial direction, UKSV prioritised the recovery of initial Developed Vetting turnaround times, followed by Security Check and Counter Terrorist Check turnaround times. These first two targets were met on time. UKSV is currently focussing efforts to maintain the performance of these and is making good progress to meet the third target to recover the turnaround times of Developed Vetting review cases by the end of March 2024.
In line with the practice followed by successive administrations, the Government does not otherwise comment on security matters.
Asked by: Ashley Dalton (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether management vetting is required for all officers who hold the rank of sergeant in the police force.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not hold data in relation to the number, status or levels of vetting for individuals working in policing. Vetting and recruitment matters are handled independently, and on a case-by-case basis, by each force. Decisions on vetting should be made in accordance with the statutory Vetting Code of Practice and vetting authorised professional practice (APP), issued by the College of Policing.
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) carries out regular inspections on the effectiveness of forces’ vetting arrangements. Details of these inspections are available on its website: https://hmicfrs.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/
The vetting APP outlines the criteria that forces should consider when determining the level of vetting clearance which is to be applied to a post rather than a particular rank. This includes whether the post requires access to particularly sensitive information and/or assets.
Mentions:
1: Baroness Doocey (LD - Life peer) This would inform vetting and any potential future investigations. - Speech Link
2: Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Con - Life peer) The report did not specifically recommend that the Government legislate on vetting standards. - Speech Link
Asked by: Ashley Dalton (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data his Department holds on the number of (a) members of staff and (b) officers in Lancashire Constabulary for whom (i) the correct level of vetting has not been applied and (ii) vetting clearance has expired.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not hold data in relation to the number, status or levels of vetting for individuals working in policing. Vetting and recruitment matters are handled independently, and on a case-by-case basis, by each force. Decisions on vetting should be made in accordance with the statutory Vetting Code of Practice and vetting authorised professional practice (APP), issued by the College of Policing.
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) carries out regular inspections on the effectiveness of forces’ vetting arrangements. Details of these inspections are available on its website: https://hmicfrs.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/
The vetting APP outlines the criteria that forces should consider when determining the level of vetting clearance which is to be applied to a post rather than a particular rank. This includes whether the post requires access to particularly sensitive information and/or assets.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Somerton and Frome)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has had recent discussions with United Kingdom Security Vetting on vetting clearance rates for applicants with mental health conditions.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
I have had recent engagement with the UKSV across various aspects of National Security Vetting (NSV).
The NSV process takes into account many aspects of an individual’s life in order to gather a greater understanding of any risks which may make them unsuitable to have access to sensitive information, assets or access to certain sensitive sites. The individual’s health (both physical and mental) are just one of those aspects. Any mitigations to those risks are also taken into account when making a decision on suitability for clearance. I can advise that many people with mental health considerations do hold NSV clearance.
NSV policy is kept under constant review to ensure that policy reflects changes in society and addresses new and emerging global trends.
It may interest the Honourable Member and her constituents to know there is public facing guidance available on the UKSV government website. This includes information about the vetting process as well as mental health considerations and includes efforts made to help demystify the vetting process and ensure improved inclusivity.
In line with the practice followed by successive administrations, the Government does not otherwise comment on security matters.