To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many licence applications for operatives working in the private security industry were submitted (a) before and (b) after 31 October 2005. (79306)

[holding answer 21 June 2006]: The information is as follows.

(a) 69,553 applications were submitted from the beginning of licensing until 31 October 2005.

(b) 99,239 applications were submitted between 31 October 2005 and 21 June 2006.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last met the Security Industry Authority; and what was discussed at the meeting. (62264)

Ministers and officials meet the SIA regularly to discuss a range of issues. I became the Minister with responsibility for the SIA on 4 May, and visited the SIA offices on 1 June to meet staff.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to provide a substantive reply to Question 59554, on the Security Industry Authority, tabled by the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight on 14 March. (63190)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 27 June 2006, Official Report, column 2013W.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time for an application for registration as a door supervisor with the Security Industry Authority to be processed has been since establishment of the authority. (66519)

The SIA do not calculate average processing times. Some, such as those including overseas criminal records checks, unavoidably take a considerable time. The SIA have a published target of processing 80 per cent. of all applications within six weeks, measured from the date that a properly completed application enters the processing system to the date that a licence is issued. From April 2004 until August 2005 the SIA processed 62 per cent. within six weeks and 88 per cent. within nine weeks. Since September 2005, there has been a backlog of applications that have been waiting to enter the system. These have added an additional time of between two and four weeks to the process, so it is now taking up to 10 weeks to process most applications.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long it has taken on average to process an application for a door supervisor’s licence to the Security Industry Authority in the last 12 months. (81127)

The Security Industry Authority (SIA) do not calculate the average processing times for applications. Some, such as those involving overseas criminal records checks, unavoidably take a considerable time. The SIA have a published target of processing 80 per cent. of all applications within six weeks, measured from the date that a properly completed application enters the processing system to the date that a licence is issued.

From April 2004 until August 2005 the SIA processed 62 per cent. within six weeks and 88 per cent. within nine weeks. Since September 2005, there has been a backlog of applications that have been waiting to enter the system. These have added an additional time of between two and four weeks to the process, so it is now taking up to 10 weeks to process most applications.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when the Security Industry Authority will reinstate the online application facility; and what alternative methods have been put in place for urgent applications; (81128)

The Security Industry Authority (SIA) has a number of methods of ordering application forms. Application forms are available from the SIA call centre, the bulk applications department (which was set up in 2005 to enable companies to order volumes of application forms), and via the SIA website. Due to a high volume of requests, most of which were duplicate requests, the website ordering system was temporarily suspended for one month from 24 May to 27 June. The SIA deals with all licences with the same level of urgency. Currently, the SIA have no plans to implement an applicant fast-tracking system.