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Senior Civil Servants: Vetting

Asked by Mike WoodConservativeCabinet OfficeTabled Answered 28 April 2026UIN 128056

The question

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the UK Security Vetting document entitled DV - Guidance Pack for Applicants, updated on 23 September 2024, if he will set out the circumstances in which senior civil servants can be appointed to Civil Service roles requiring Developed Vetting (DV) clearance where they have failed their DV security vetting.

Answered by Dan Jarvis

United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) provides a range of independent vetting services designed to identify potential personnel security risks. However, the employing department ultimately owns the risk of any appointment decision. Senior officials with responsibility for personnel security within their department evaluate vetting outcomes alongside the specific requirements of a post and the organisation's risk appetite.

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