Violent Crime Reduction Bill

moved AmendmentNo. 30: After Clause 24, insert the following new clause- ““MANDATORY PREMISES LICENCE CONDITION: DOOR SUPERVISION (1) Section 21 of the Licensing Act 2003 (c. 17) (mandatory condition: door supervision) is amended as follows. (2) In subsection (1) for ““be licensed by the Security Industry Authority”” substitute ““- (a) be authorised to carry out that activity by a licence granted under the Private Security Industry Act 2001; or (b) be entitled to carry out that activity by virtue of section 4 of that Act.”” (3) In subsection (3) in paragraph (a), at the end insert ““and which is licensable conduct for the purposes of that Act (see section 3(2) of that Act)””. The noble Lord said: My Lords, this amendment will correct an unforeseen consequence of Section 21 of the Licensing Act 2003. At present, where a premises licence issued under the Act requires one or more persons to be at the premises at any time to undertake security activities, it must also, subject to several exceptions, require such persons to be licensed by the Security Industry Authority, even if the Private Security Industry Act 2001 does not require them to be licensed. Subject to certain exceptions, Section 21 of the 2003 Act catches all persons performing these activities, whether they are required to be licensed by the SIA or not. The practical consequences of this have recently come to light. In plain English this means that when the wording of a premises licence requires security staff to be present at an event to carry out a security activity, there are cases where they have to be SIA-licensed, even if they are not required to be licensed by the 2001 Act. That includes volunteers and other groups that have been exempted, including those who are working legally under a licence dispensation notice. The amendment aims to correct that anomaly. I beg to move. On Question, amendment agreed to.