SIA 'meets more targets'

Doorstaff regulator the Security Industry Authority (SIA) says it's continuing to improve the efficiency of its service as it reported a deficit of £119,000 for 2010/2011.

The body, which had been criticised in the past for slow service, reported that 93% of licence applications were processed within 30 days - against a target of 80% - in the most recent financial year.

Seven out of 10 doorstaff received their licence within 15 days or less, and customer satisfaction was 80% (target: 75%).

A high level of compliance with the SIA regime was also reported. Quarterly random operations across the country during the year found that 98% of security staff were properly licensed - the target figure was 90%.

However, several targets were missed. It missed the target of competing 95% of partner information exchange requests within 10 working days; the final figure was 81%.

The SIA attributed its deficit in 2010/2011 to the three-year licensing cycle that meant that in 2010/2011 fewer doorstaff paid their fees.

Income from licence fees fell from £33.821m to £26.486m this year. Overall income was £10m less than in 2009/2010, when a surplus of £0.96m was reported (2008/2009: £2.99m surplus).

It also had a one-off exceptional cost of £151,000 for introducing the SIA regime into Northern Ireland.

The SIA made over £4m in cost savings over the year, as part of the Government's austerity measures, with additional savings of £1.7m through the new managed service contract with BT. "These initiatives have ensured that the SIA has remained fully self-financing in 2010/2011," the group said.

The SIA is set to be abolished by the end of 2013, with legislation due to be brought forward in the next Parliament. The body is leading a taskforce to examine proposals to move to a different licensing regime under the so-called Change Blueprint.

Chief executive Bill Butler's salary remained the same, £120,000-£125,000, on a pro rata basis (he was not full time in the previous results). Chair Ruth Henig's salary was also frozen at £65,000-£70,000.