I run a Private Security Company employing 300 Licensed Operatives.
We are Governed by the Security Industry Authority.
Anyone Carrying out Door Supervision, Manned Guarding, Security Guarding etc must be SIA Licensed.
The Training and Licensing can vary from £400 to £800 per employee.
The SIA visited us in March and made us sign a document promising to be compliant during the period of the Olympics. (We are always Compliant anyway).
Then they announce this "The Private Security Industry Act 2001 gives the Secretary of State powers to exempt from the licensing requirements those people who, though engaged in security duties, are subject to suitable alternative arrangements.Two such exemptions are set out in the Private Security Industry Act 2001 (Exemption) (Olympics Security) Regulations 2012. The regulations apply for the period from 1 March 2012 to 30 September 2012 to cover the preparation, the actual Games and the decommissioning period of the London Olympics"
So in other words, we must be licensed but G4S has a complete exemption for the Olympics meaning they can pick up hundreds of bodies at the Job Centres and put them straight to work with no License.
Unbelievable.