8.Consultation outcome
8.1.A consultation document entitled ‘Regulating the Private Security Industry in Northern Ireland’ was circulated to organisations representing the private security industry, political parties, relevant local authority organisations, and a wide variety of other organisations with an interest in or who use private security services in August 2006. This document set out the options for regulation and highlighted the Government’s preference, which was to extend the remit of the SIA to Northern Ireland.
8.2.The Government invited responses from organisations and individuals. The consultation paper included and welcomed comments on the results of the Equality Screening of these proposals, in line with the Department’s Equality Scheme. The consultation formally closed on 24 October 2006.
8.3.Of the responses received from security companies, all were strongly in favour of the proposals to extend the remit of the SIA to Northern Ireland. This view was shared by the local authorities, the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the British Security Industry Association, the trade association covering all aspects of the professional security industry in the UK.
8.4.No separate public consultation on the proposed draft order has been carried out as it is intended only to make minor amendments to the 2001 Act to ensure that the regime in Northern Ireland mirrors that already in place in the rest of the United Kingdom.
8.5.A document containing a draft of this Order has been laid with Parliament for 60 days and referred to the Northern Ireland Assembly, as required by section 85(4) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998. The Secretary of State is obliged under section 85(6) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 to summarise any representations made by either House of Parliament or the Northern Ireland Assembly during this period and to provide a copy of any report prepared on the draft by Parliament or the Assembly. A summary of a report produced by an ad hoc committee of the Northern Ireland Assembly during this period is appended to this memorandum, along with a copy of the report itself. No representations were made by either House of Parliament.