Private Security Industry Bill - latest Straw outrage

[Brewis, Mark]

Ken Brown wrote:
> > 
> Schedule 2 Part 1 can be amended by order of the Secretary of State
> (what a surprise) but at the moment it refers to bouncers, guards,
> wheelclampers,  & so on *except* for that one bit about security
> consultants that Ross mentioned. "The giving of advice about 
> the taking
> of security precautions in relation to any risk to property or the
> person".
> 
> I suspect (IANAL) that computer consultants are safe from this act. 
> 

I doubt that Computer Security was ever in the minds of those who instigated
the drafting of this bill.  I, like many other consultants, am asked to
advise on physical security from time to time, which might fall under the
bill.

In addition, one of the service offerings we provide is Business Continuity
Planning, and this most definitely falls under the bill.  The BCI, the
Business Continuity Institute, might want to take up a stance on this.

The Terrorism Bill Schedule 13 covered private security services, but was
reasonably consistent about describing them as security guards.

Another example of a sloppily drafted bill with a blanket approach.
Inconsistency, and an inability to see beyond the words written on the paper
seem to have dogged recent legislation.