Counter Terror Business - Government & Legislation

Labour's plan for security spending

Polly Jones — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 15:43:40 +0000

Labour have been in power for around three months now. Here, we take a look at their spending commitments from the manifesto and since, when it comes to security, policing and defence.

Manifesto

Labour’s manifesto claimed to be fully costed, fully funded and built on a rock of fiscal responsibility, committing to a range of public spending.

One of the commitments was to launch a new Border Security Command with hundreds of new specialist investigators. They also promised a crack down on anti-social behaviour, with more neighbourhood police.

The party committed to a strategic defence review within its first year of government, as well as setting out the path to spending 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence.

The manifesto promised a new Border Security Command – now in the works – with hundreds of new investigators, intelligence officers, and cross-border police officers. This would funded by ending the Rwanda plan.

Labour promised to recruit thousands of new police officers, which will be paid for by tackling waste through a new Police Efficiency and Collaboration programme for England and Wales. 13,000 additional neighbourhood police and community PCSOs; and specialist domestic abuse advisers in 999 control rooms at peak times will be backed by £400 million.

Border security

In September, the government announced up to £75 million of new investment for the Border Security Command. The funding will be used to deliver cutting-edge new technology, extra officers and further covert capabilities across the system.

As part of the uplift, the National Crime Agency (NCA), the police and other law enforcement agency partners will receive a cash injection to bolster the UK’s border security and disrupt people-smuggling gangs.

The £75 million is redirected funds that come from the previous government's Illegal Migration Act.

New capabilities will include covert cameras and state of the art monitoring technology, which will enhance evidence collection, speeding up investigations and increasing the likelihood of successful prosecutions.

There will be a new unit to improve intelligence collection across UK police forces and information flows to partners, alongside an uplift in prosecutors working in the Crown Prosecution Service to act on investigations.

Technology

Five new hubs to develop practical use of quantum technology in areas like medical scanners, secure communication networks, and next-generation positioning systems have received £100 million in government funding.

Thse hubs will explore technologies crucial for national security. This could see aircraft operating with improved positioning systems that are resistant to GPS jamming, or submarines able to operate for extended periods without relying on satellites. Additionally, research into a ‘quantum internet’ could create secure and future-proof communication networks, safeguarding sensitive data and communications infrastructure – helping protect citizens and the economy.

Equipment

A £71 Million contract has been awarded to maintain thousands of UK military land vehicles.

Called the Conventional Vehicle Systems Spares and Post Design Services (CVSSP), the contract will be for spares and post design services for a range of legacy utility and combat vehicles and ancillary equipment, helping to create and sustain around 100 skilled jobs in Coventry.

The contract will help to extend the life of the entire Land Rover fleet; Pinzgauer fleet; protected Land Rover; RWMIK and the Lightweight Trailer fleet.

Martyn’s Law
The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill - Martyn's Law - has been introduced to parliament.

The bill aims to increase preparedness for and protection from, terrorist attacks at public venues.

The legislation is named after Martyn Hett, who along with 21 other people was killed in the Manchester Arena attack. His mother, Figen Murray, has been campaigning for legislation and recently walked from Manchester to London to raise awareness.

The law will require those responsible for premises and public events to take appropriate action to strengthen public safety, with requirements reflecting the size of the venue and the activity taking place.

It has been revealed that the Security Industry Authority (SIA) will take on the responsibilities of the Martyn’s Law Regulator.

In a statement, the SIA welcomed the decision and said they fully appreciate the significance of Martyn’s Law and the important role the Martyn’s Law Regulator will have.

The statement highlighted that the new responsibility will be separately funded and emphasised that it must not compromise the SIA's existing regulatory role in public protection licensing regulated private security roles.

Support for SMEs
The manifesto has promised support for small business, with a plan for small business. This plan involves action on late payments to make sure they are paid on time as well as making it easier for small and medium-sized enterprises to gain access to capital. This comes alongside reform to procurement rules to give SMEs greater access to government contracts.

Crown Commercial Service (CCS) has revealed that £3.52 billion (16.7 per cent) of central government spending went directly to 1,525 small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) over the last year.

The government also recently announced a promised crackdown on late payments.

The Explosives Sector: Setting standards

CTB — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:59:58 +0000

Government & Legislation

The explosives industry is very attractive to many servicemen and women coming to the end of a career where the use and management of Ordnance, Munitions and Explosives (OME) may have been an everyday occurrence. You may have been an Infantryman in Afghanistan, firing hundreds of rounds of small arms ammunition during an operational tour, you may have been a specialist searcher in the Royal Engineers, you may have been a RAF Armourer or a munitions storekeeper. Clearance Diver, Ammunition Technician, Military Police CSI: all of these are potential routes to a career in the explosives sector if you have the drive to make it so.

Some of the fields of expertise in the explosives sector are: quarrying, mining, construction, demolition, security, the oil and mineral exploration industry, film and TV special effects (SFX), explosives licensing, munitions design and manufacture; explosives search and detection; EOD operations and training; logistics; explosives forensics.

Hard Facts
There are some harsh realities to be taken into account when considering a career in the explosives sector. The UK’s explosives industry has generally been in decline for a number of years as the number of mines, quarries, explosives manufacturers and research establishments have reduced. The global recession has hit the explosives sector as hard as any other and those companies that have survived have done so by taking hard decisions and consolidating their positions. All of this can only mean that recruitment has been very limited in most specialist areas. That said, another factor that has been well recognised by explosives companies and government departments is that the workforce that has ‘always been there’ is declining due to normal retirement, leaving space for well trained and motivated individuals to take up.

Training and Qualifications
The Standards Setting Body for Explosives, Munitions and Search Occupations (SSB for EMSO) was established in 2000 in order to develop National Occupational Standards and National/Scottish Vocational Qualifications (N/SVQs) for those involved in munition clearance (ie bomb disposal – both EOD and IEDD) and search activities. The standards would provide specific, objective, measurable and nationally agreed statements of competence that could be used in any part of the explosives industry – military, civilian or private sector. These standards were launched in October 2003. In the autumn of 2003, the Defence Ordnance Safety Group (DOSG) of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) approached the SSB and asked for help in defining the competences known at the time in the MoD as Ordnance, Munitions and Explosives (OME) but which later became known as Explosive Substances and Articles (ESA). Since the MoD ideally wished its personnel to gain national accreditation for achievement of the resulting standards, the project was therefore widened to include all organizations that employed people who needed expertise in dealing with explosives (both military and civilian).

The SSB was made up of experts from the Ministry of Defence (MoD), Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force, QinetiQ plc, the Atomic Weapons Establishment plc and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratories, along with representatives from commercial companies working with explosives in conjunction with a qualifications specialist. The NOS were to be the basis for a raft of S/NVQs covering the whole explosives sector.

24 NVQs were developed, each covering one of the functional areas identified during mapping of the explosive substances and articles industry. Each NVQ is based on National Occupational Standards (NOS) and relates to the roles identified by the early research – from operator to operational manager level.

The difficulty in developing these NVQs beyond the initial stage was the lack of take up by existing Awarding Bodies who perceived that the aforementioned decline in explosives workers population would automatically mean that there was little profit to be made from this sector. So, �鶹��land Security Qualifications (HSQ) was established to meet the needs of this niche market. The asterisked qualifications are immediately available from HSQ and more qualifications (in Defence Range Safety and in the vehicular movement of explosives) are currently under development.

Some, but by no means all, of these NVQs have been migrated to the new Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) that is being phased in to replace the existing national qualifications system. �鶹��land Security Qualifications has begun the process of translating the majority of the ESA NVQs listed above into the QCF format and has also developed bespoke vocational qualifications for its client organizations that wish to accredit the training or competence of some its specialist personnel.

Some of the explosives specialist occupational areas have very specific requirements and their own industry training and qualification standards. SFX is a growth area which requires specialist training through the BECTU, BPA or ASP schemes. If you wish to become a shotfirer in the mineral extraction industry you will need to qualify through one of the appropriate training providers - the Mineral Products Qualifications Council (MPQC) is the awarding body for vocational qualifications in Blasting Operations at level 3 - for operators, shotfirers, explosives supervisors, store keepers working within a blasting environment.

Transferable Skills
Very few of the military qualifications in OME gained by servicemen and women were obviously transferable until quite recently. The past few years has seen a lot of effort in the Defence training organisations to map military qualifications to National Occupational Standards and S/NVQs. As the QCF becomes fully operational, these VQs will be re-developed into QCF-compliant qualifications as the awarding bodies and training organisations are driven by demand from the servicemen who need to show their abilities to civilian organisations. There are, of course, some specialist areas such as EOD where most of the civilian companies recognise and may insist on evidence of military training and experience.

Service leavers should not forget all those additional skills and qualifications they have picked up over the years, and should ensure that as many of them as possible are still current at the time they leave the Service. Qualifications such as HAZMAT Instructor, ADR driver, Government Authorised Representative are worth their weight in gold in the outside world. Many companies will look for a multiskilled operator able to turn his or her hand to different facets of the task set. Remember that it is up to you to prove your competence, not to expect a civilian employer to accept military service as assurance that you have the skill set he is looking for.

Professional Bodies
As with any sector of industry, there are a number of professional bodies that can provide advice on entry into particular specialisations. The explosives sector includes the Institute of Explosives Engineers, Institute of Quarrying, Institute of Mining and the National Federation of Demolition Contractors. Trade bodies include BECTU, the BPA and ASP for those wishing to work as professional pyrotechnicians.

The IExpE has individual members from most of the specialist areas within the explosives sector and military applicants with appropriate verifiable training and experience are always welcome. Through the Institute, members of all categories and from all disciplines have a live forum. Demolition contractors, explosives manufacturers, underwater specialists, miners, tunnellers, quarrymen, disposal contractors, vibration specialists, oil industry contractors, special effects technicians (pyrotechnicians), firework display operators, Police Explosives Liaison Officers, Legislators and members of the Armed Services find a common voice to express concerns and ideas and to understand better the requirements and concerns of those explosives engineering disciplines that are less familiar to them. Members receive a quarterly journal and access to a network of expertise. The IExpE now provides a route for explosives workers to registration with the Engineering Council in the grades of Engineering Technician (EngTech), Incorporated Engineer (IEng) or Chartered Engineer (CEng), through a partnering arrangement with the Society of Environmental Engineers. Potential registrants must be members of IExpE.

A Wide-Ranging Sector
The explosives sector is very wide-ranging, from research scientist to explosives manufacturer to ammunition storeman to tunnelling shotfirer to search adviser to EOD operator. Many service leavers will be attracted to work in this industry due to their military experience in the use of ordnance, munitions and explosives (OME) or in counter-terrorism or counter-IED operations. Some civilian or government specialist areas are in decline and some are growing, but there is always space for the well-trained and motivated individual with the right skills and qualifications

For more information
Institute of Explosives Engineers
www.iexpe.org
�鶹��land Security Qualifications
www.homelandsecurityqualifications.co.uk

A partnership approach

CTB — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 10:31:54 +0000

Government & Legislation

The question over how the security industry should contribute to national resilience has resurfaced. The Cabinet Office is developing an “enhancement programme” to the 2004 Civil Contingencies Act and attention is now turning to how the private sector should contribute to the process. Wider questions over industry’s contribution to the country’s economic resilience are being asked. What is the security industry’s contribution to national resilience?

A|D|S is interested in this question because it is the organisation advancing the AeroSpace, Defence and Security industries in the UK. It represents over 850 companies across the supply chain and approximately 400 of these are small, medium and large sized companies operating in the security and resilience sectors. A|D|S’s member companies have since 2007 been engaging the UK Government on strategic issues of security and counter-terrorism through the UK Security and Resilience Industry Suppliers Community (RISC).

Next to the development of engagement mechanisms with government on resilience issues, the economic conditions have been focusing minds in the security industry. A|D|S monitors closely the impact that the economic conditions are having on its members and the UK’s national resilience effort. In this context, A|D|S has been arguing for the development of a closer partnership between government and industry to deliver national resilience and to help fulfill the economic contribution of the sector.

But if industry has a role to play in national resilience what is meant by the term?

Defining resilience
Resilience is a difficult concept to define. However, Sir David Omand has previously captured its meaning as the “ability to detect, prevent and if necessary to handle disruptive challenges”. The view that resilience is “the capacity to absorb shocks and to bounce back into functioning shape” is widely accepted.

Resilience is therefore viewed within UK Government as the preparation for, the response to and the recovery from a wide range of emergencies. The government’s strategic security documents show that it considers many threats and hazards impact upon society’s ability to absorb disruption. These extend beyond international terrorism and have been articulated in previous iterations of the National Risk Register.

There is a further dimension. In the context of the current financial climate and fierce global competition the concept of economic resilience is increasingly important. This is to consider resilience not so much as the approach to natural disasters or malicious attacks, but in economic terms with the state of the public finances as an emergency itself. Questions over how to provide resilience against this type of emergency demand a different set of answers.

Resilience can therefore be viewed as the ability of society to sustain itself. Seen in this way, there is a need to consider security and resilience in a very broad manner, and to balance risk mitigation measures with the continuation of our way of life.

The security industry’s role
Against this backdrop, what is the security industry’s role in delivering national resilience? We can think of the security industry’s contribution in three main ways:
• A producer of industrial capabilities which support the UK’s resilience agenda
• A provider of corporate security and business continuity across the country
• A significant potential contributor to the country’s economic recovery.

Firstly, the security industry’s capabilities can help to mitigate the impact of major emergencies. Examples of capabilities designed to support the government and the UK’s first responders in dealing with various stages of emergencies include (but are not limited to): blast modelling; multi-agency civil command team training; the integration of operational control systems; horizon scanning and scenario planning; satellite observation for reconnaissance underpinning security actions; airborne capabilities and interoperable communications.

Secondly, the security industry is in its day-to-day business an essential provider of corporate security and business continuity across the country. The National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaTCSO) recognises the role of the private sector in providing for national resilience and provides important guidance on how companies can deal with emergencies. Similarly, the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) operates a broad range of information exchanges that bring government and industry together to discuss relevant issues, including in the sectors that A|D|S represents.

Thirdly, the ability of the security industry to generate new business in overseas markets is important to the UK’s economic recovery. The Chancellor has stated his intention to reframe the economy to one that is “not overly reliant on the success of one industry, financial services – important as they are – but where all industries grow.” With the government’s ongoing commitment to work with the security industry, it is a sector that can contribute to the rebalancing of the economy. The industry is a British success story and it has been seeking to work with all the relevant parts of the government to develop a comprehensive approach to security exports. The market is estimated to be worth around US$140-180bn annually and is growing. It offers the UK a huge opportunity to export its innovative capabilities globally and contribute to the country’s economic resilience.

A new focus on security exports
The coalition government is providing some very encouraging signs that it will seek to increase the country’s focus on security exports overseas. The industry welcomes the Minister of State for Security Rt Hon Baroness Neville-Jones’ recognition in her speech to the 2010 Farnborough International Airshow that the security industry in the UK has a huge amount to offer the world by way of innovative solutions to security problems. It also wants to work with government to realise her wish to see “a major uplift in the performance of UK security exports” (currently estimated to be worth around four per cent globally) with the government playing the sort of role it has played in the past in relation to defence exports.

The security industry plays many roles in national resilience. It is a world leading supplier of national security and resilience capabilities, an important participant in corporate security and business continuity efforts and a significant potential contributor to the country’s economic recovery. The importance of security exports to delivering national security and resilience objectives and in helping the UK’s broader economic recovery should not be underestimated. The security industry has been seeking a closer partnership with the government on security and resilience issues and the coalition’s early willingness to engage with the sector is encouraging. A closer partnership between government and industry will help to deliver the nation’s resilience – in all its forms.

A|D|S is the trade organisation advancing UK AeroSpace, Defence, and Security industries with Farnborough International Limited as a wholly-owned subsidiary. A|D|S also encompasses the British Aviation Group (BAG). It is formed from the merger of the Association of Police and Public Security Suppliers (APPSS), the Defence Manufacturers Association (DMA) and the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC).

Preparing for the worst

CTB — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 09:20:25 +0000

Government & Legislation

Her Majesty’s government is perceived by many terrorist groups as an attractive and ‘legitimate’ target. It is therefore of critical importance that Departments meet the obligations outlined in the recently published Security Policy Framework.

Individual departments and agencies are responsible for managing their assets – information, personnel and physical. This includes reducing risk from terrorist attack to as low a level as is reasonably practicable. Here it is important to recognise that the visible level of security is a factor in terrorist targeting. Departments have legal obligations to protect employees and visitors, and they must have in place physical security measures, proportionate to the threat and the assets to be protected. Contingency arrangements (which CTB will examine in the next issue) to facilitate the quick resumption of vital services are also essential.

Risk management
Departments must employ a risk management approach to counter-terrorism protective security, although it is recognised that for certain areas (such as the protection of nuclear weapons and nuclear materials) CT security policy will be intentionally more prescriptive. It should be noted that CT measures are likely to complement other security measures and therefore should be considered in conjunction with general protective security risk management. However, there are some very specific baseline CT measures that all departments must take.

Risk categories and threat levels
Government establishments fall into three risk categories according to the likelihood of being a target of a terrorist attack. These risk categories are HIGH, MODERATE, and LOW. Threat Levels are designed to give a broad indication of the likelihood of a terrorist attack. The Threat Levels are LOW, MODERATE, SUBSTANTIAL, SEVERE and CRITICAL. The five levels reflect an assessment of probability of attack based on an analysis of terrorists’ intentions, targeting priorities, capabilities and any evidence of current planning and timescales.

If an establishment is identified as being at immediate threat, the police and security authorities will inform the department and may take control of the scene. This can be either pre or post-incident depending on circumstances and may require careful handling to avoid compromising intelligence. In order to ensure departments have current information on the terrorist threat, the Centre for the Protection of the National Infrastructure (CPNI) and Cabinet Office Government Security Secretariat (COGSS) produce regular threat updates, some of which can only be seen on a ‘need to know’ basis.

Government Estate Response Level system
The Cabinet Office operates a system of response giving departments a broad indication of the level of protective security readiness required at any one time. The Response Level is informed by the level of threat as well as specific assessments of vulnerability and risk to HMG but Response Levels tend to relate to sites, whereas Threat Levels usually relate to broad areas of activity. The three Response Levels are: NORMAL, HEIGHTENED and EXCEPTIONAL.

Precise measures adopted for each individual site and at each Response Level are the responsibility of Departmental Security Officers (DSOs) in consultation with CPNI and specialist counter-terrorist Security Advisers, and must form part of CT planning. Measures are likely to include restricting access, increasing patrols and the frequency of bag searching. A more detailed description of incremental security measures is set out in the supplementary material within the framework.

Department security officers must ensure that the department and its agencies have baseline counter-terrorist physical security measures and counter-terrorist incremental security measures in place at each Response Level. Further, at each Response Level, DSOs must ensure that the identified counter-terrorist incremental security measures are applied.

Counter-Terrorist protective security policy and plans
Departments are best placed to assess the risks they face, and must develop their own security policies in line with the Framework. This must include an overarching counter-terrorist protective security policy providing management direction for the department’s CT effort.

Departments must produce counter-terrorist contingency plans setting out the appropriate procedures to be followed in the event of an incident or imminent terrorist threat. CT contingency plans should be developed in accordance with national security authorities’ advice and in consultation with local emergency services and should form part of departmental business continuity plans.

Protective security measures
The framework provides detailed policy and guidance on all aspects of protective security and DSOs must refer to these when developing CT policies and plans, but in broad terms they need to ensure:

Physical security – that establishments (both new construction and existing), including non-government establishments which sustain HMG business, such as data centres, are suitably robust and offer an appropriate degree of protection against attack and hostile interest. Considerations may include protected spaces, glazing, stand-off, barriers, CCTV, public areas, internal communications, signage, Perimeter Intrusion Detection systems (PIDs), access points and control, building services (e.g. ventilation inlets) and parking areas.

Personnel security – there is adequate protection for all staff, as well as personal protection arrangements required for high-threat personnel such as ministers and VIPs. National Security Vetting is a core element of ensuring trusted individuals are employed in sensitive posts. The Counter-Terrorist Check (CTC) plays an important part in CT vetting measures but other aspects of personnel security must be considered equally important, such as the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) and ongoing personnel security management.

Information security – that all ICT systems, as part of the formal ICT accreditation process, consider and mitigate potential physical and electronic terrorist attack.

Testing CT arrangements
Testing and exercises are essential elements in providing assurance – they ensure that staff are well versed in procedure, that equipment and communications are functioning and adequate and that arrangements with external bodies (e.g. emergency services, contractors, suppliers) are effective. They also provide an opportunity to identify and address problem areas. The testing of CT plans is also essential.

Further information:
Full Framework Document
The full framework document is available from www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk

CONTEST strategy
CONTEST is the government’s strategy for reducing the risk from International terrorism. It is available at
www.security.homeoffice.gov.uk/counter-terrorismstrategy/about-the-strategy1/#

Centre for the Protection of the National Infrastructure (CPNI)
www.cpni.gov.uk