Government security vetting

The government operates a system of security vetting designed to ensure that those with access to sensitive information or other assets can be trusted with it, and will not damage UK national interest through such access (for example by disclosing information to others). National security vetting is not designed to avoid embarrassment to the government or to take an ethical view on an individual’s personal life.

UK Security Vetting (UKSV), which is part of the Government Security Group that sits in the Cabinet Office, provides all national security vetting. While overall national security vetting policy and delivery is done centrally, departments determine which vetting level is required for different roles, based on the type of information the job-holder will have access to.

This explainer is therefore not comprehensive, but provides a general overview of National Security Vetting for civil servants and other government appointments.

Who needs national security vetting?

Some level of vetting is required for any individual with any access to government assets, such as information and documents, and access to government property.

This means that all civil servants must undergo the basic level of vetting (see below), as well as members of the armed forces and those with temporary access to government departments, such as contractors or agency workers. Special advisers are also required to undergo security vetting to access sensitive government information.

In very few exceptional cases, individuals can have access to information or locations which would usually require vetting, without going through any such vetting. MPs are one example - unlike most passholders to the parliamentary estate, MPs are not vetted before being given their passes.

Government ministers are another exception. Some see highly classified information, which civil servants working with them need to go through intensive vetting procedures to access. But the UK has long adhered to the principle that democratically elected politicians are not vetted. More information is available below on the other types of vetting that MPs, ministers and other appointments may be subject to.

What are the different levels of national security vetting, and how do they work?

There are several different levels of security vetting. The levels are related to the different classifications of government assets: the more secure the information that an individual needs access to, the higher the level of vetting they will be expected to hold.
There are three classifications for government information, and they are defined by the level of harm that would occur if the information were compromised: 

• OFFICIAL: relates to most government information. Would cause no more than moderate damage if compromised. 
   
• SECRET: compromise could threaten life of an individual or group, or damage the UK’s security or international relations or similar.
   
• TOP SECRET: compromise could lead to loss of life, cause “exceptionally grave damage to the effectiveness or security of the UK forces” or similar.

As the level of vetting increases, so too does the level of information an individual is required to provide and the intrusiveness of the process. The standard vetting levels, and the classification of information they typically allow access to, are outlined below.

Most levels of vetting expire after a certain period of time, though some of the higher levels require more regular check-ins and the mandatory, proactive disclosure of changes in personal circumstances.

Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS)

-    Who needs it? BPSS is required for anyone with any access to government assets. This means that it is required by all civil servants, as well as members of the armed forces., need it.

-    What does it involve? BPSS involves basic checks of a person’s identity, right to work in the UK and criminal record.

Counter Terrorist Check (CTC)

-    Who needs it? CTC is required for those whose roles bring them into close contact with at-risk public figures, access to information which could be of value to terrorists, or access to at-risk locations. All parliamentary staff, for example, require CTC given their unrestricted access to the parliamentary estate.

-    What does it involve? CTC involves the completion of BPSS, as well as a security questionnaire, a check of spent criminal records (rather than just unspent, as is the case with BPSS), and a check of Security Service (MI5) records.

Security Check (SC)

-    Who needs it? SC is required for ‘long-term, frequent and uncontrolled’ access to government information classified as ‘secret’, and supervised access to ‘top secret’ information. It is also required for other situations, such as for those whose roles might give them a good understanding of ‘secret’ information without direct access to it.

-    What does it involve? SC involves the completion of all the steps for CTC, as well as credit and financial history checks, a possible full review of personal finances, and the possibility of checks extending to relatives or others mentioned on an individual’s security questionnaire.

Developed Vetting (DV)

-    Who needs it? DV is required for ‘frequent and uncontrolled’ access to ‘top secret’ material, or any access to ‘top secret’ ‘codeword’ material. As with other levels of vetting, it is also required for individuals whose roles would allow them to bring about the same degree of damage as those with direct access to such material.

-    What does it involve? DV involves the completion of all the steps for CTC, as well as a full review of personal finances, a comprehensive interview by a vetting officer and interviewees with referees who know the individual being vetted well. Interviews involve the detailed disclosure and verification of personal history, including issues such as relationships and drug use.

How long does national security vetting take?

The amount of time that vetting takes varies significantly. While BPSS clearance can take weeks or less, DV can take over six months.

Long vetting timescales are often the most significant factor in delays in civil servants moving between departments or taking up new roles.

In recent years there have been significant backlogs in national security vetting. In 2023, for example, the Public Accounts Committee highlighted “unacceptable delays in processing clearances”, which could “result in departments being unable to progress the work of government.” It also pointed to the “increased risk” associated with individuals with DV going longer than planned without a review of their clearance.  ¹³ https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmselect/cmpubacc/994/summary.html  Performance has improved recently.  ¹⁴ https://www.civilserviceworld.com/in-depth/article/vetting-better

What happens if you fail national security vetting?

There are no set criteria for passing or failing security vetting. The assessor considers all the relevant information – both favourable and unfavourable – alongside the security requirements of the role to decide whether an individual should be given a security clearance. Where information that poses a security concern comes to light during the vetting process, the assessor will also take into account how open the individual has been about that information.

If an individual fails security vetting after accepting a provisional job offer, they will not be able to take up the role. This is true of both external joiners to the civil service, and people moving roles within it. 

It is, however, possible to appeal a negative vetting decision (including failed renewal of vetting). This is initially done through an internal review, and any final decision is taken by the Security Vetting Appeals Panel.

The national security vetting process and diversity

The higher the level of security clearance that an individual needs, the more comprehensive and personal the vetting process becomes. This ranges from identity and criminal record checks (for BPSS), completion of security questionnaires and more detailed checks (SC), to a full review of personal finances and detailed interview (DV). 

Data on the diversity characteristics of those holding security clearances is not regularly collected, but the DV process in particular has come under criticism in the past as damaging to diversity in the UK intelligence community, in part because of a lack of understanding of what the process entails. A report from parliament’s intelligence and security committee found the majority of vetting officers were “still white, male, and middle-aged” and had “a particular approach formed by their own personal experiences and background, both personal and professional”.  ¹⁵ https://isc.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/CCS207_CCS0718997712-001_ISA_Diversity_and_Inclusion_-in_the_UK_Intelligence_Community_HC12…

UKSV has made a concerted effort in recent years to ‘demystify’ the vetting process. Information on the checks involved for all levels of vetting area available publicly  ¹⁶ https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting-clearance-levels , and there are a series of short form videos addressing concerns and preconceptions about vetting, including on ethnicity, finances, life experience and sexuality and gender identity. There is specific guidance available for trans applicants that sets out how vetting officers will approach interviews about life experiences prior to an applicant’s transition.

Vetting for ministers, MPs and other public servants

Other vetting processes may be carried out in addition to or instead of national security vetting. 

Neither ministers nor MPs are usually subject to national security vetting. When deciding who to appoint to ministerial or other government roles, the prime minister may consider advice from the cabinet secretary or the Cabinet Office’s Propriety and Ethics team. When ministers take up their posts they are asked to disclose any relevant information to the Propriety and Ethics team. In the case of MPs, they do not generally go through national security vetting, although they will be subject to their own political party’s vetting process before they stand as a candidate, and there are some limited exceptions: members of parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee for example go through national security vetting. 

Direct appointments, including ambassadors, are subject to national security vetting as any other civil servant would be. For senior roles such as this, as well as national security vetting the prime minister will need to take a separate, additional judgement on the suitability of the individual. That usually happens before any national security vetting process is begun. The prime minister will take that decision based on an assessment of publicly available information

Other public servants may undergo forms of vetting in order to carry out their roles, carried out by their individual employers. So for example, the Metropolitan Police have their own vetting service for police officers.