A call for a decision on the Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS) has come from the British Security Industry Association.
The BSIA has written to the Home Office Minister responsible for the Security Industry Authority.
The outcome of the ACS Partial Regulatory Impact Assessment was expected by December 17, the association reports. Speaking on January 5, the BSIA stressed that the decision is of the utmost importance to the industry and the timing is critical.
MP debate
Ironically, during a Westminster debate by MPs in November, reported in the January issue of Professional Security, it was claimed that the three-month consultation about the ACS was a ‘sham’ and that the SIA had already made its mind up about what sort of scheme it would bring in to accompany the ACS. While the SIA has said it would be voluntary, contract manned guarding firms have said that the scheme would in effect be compulsory if firms wanted to be able to recruit and retain new staff, and send them to work for the several weeks while their SIA licence application is going through. Firms outside the scheme would not be able to have a percentage of staff awaiting a licence.
What they say
BSIA chief executive David Dickinson says: "I have written to Paul Goggins MP expressing our concern that a decision has not been forthcoming. The ACS represents a hugely important part of regulation and as the March 20 licensing deadline looms we are getting increasingly concerned about the absence of the scheme."
