UK Security Vetting (UKSV) performance ‘deteriorated significantly’ in 2021-22 as demand for vetting increased with the easing of covid-19 restrictions, particularly in the
turn-around times for DV DV (Developed Vetting) clearances, according to an official audit.
UKSV has not met its targets since August 2021 for CTC (Counter Terrorist Checks) and SC (Security Checks) clearances and since May 2021 for DV clearances, according to the National Audit Office (NAO) report on UKSV performance, which found continuing under-performance since its last such audit in 2018.
NAO head Gareth Davies said: “Our investigation finds unacceptable delays continue to hamper security vetting, which is of vital importance to the effective functioning of government, and in particular, national security work.
“UKSV must build on initiatives from its stabilisation plan to ensure that it is on a sustainable path to meet the increasing demand for vetting. And it is essential that the Cabinet Office set a clear pathway for meaningful reform, including recruiting and retaining talent to implement and manage sustainable improvements.”
On the IT side, the Cabinet Office’s initial efforts to modernise IT ran almost 50 per cent over budget, the official audit found, resulting in £2.5m being written off. UKSV is still using the IT system that it wanted to abandon in 2018 due to its lack of capacity, slowness and the need for many manual workarounds, the audit noted. As for staffing, a shortage of specialist staff continues to be a major obstacle, according to the report − UKSV has consistently struggled to recruit. It relies heavily on contractors despite turning to a largely in-house approach after the previous failed attempt to reform its IT.
The Ministry of Defence remains UKSV’s largest ‘customer’, accounting for 56 per cent of all clearance requests. Since January 2022, UKSV has been processing Accreditation Checks, a new legislative requirement for those working for airlines. Just over 100,000 of these had been processed by the end of September 2022.
Background
UK Security Vetting was set up in January 2017, by a merger of vetting services by the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defence (MoD). UKSV was then part of the MoD, although the Cabinet Office set policy. In April 2020, UKSV went into the Cabinet Office, as part of the Government Security Group.
You can read the 49-page report on ‘performance of UK Security Vetting’ on the NAO website: www.nao.org.uk.
