G4S Boss Buckles To Be Questioned

Nick Buckles, the Chief Executive of G4S, will be called today by the Home Affairs Select Committee.

He will asked explain the "omnishambles" of his company's arrangements security for the Olympic Games.

The private security company failed employ enough people its reassurances, so 3,500 soldiers and police from forces the country are being drafted in to up the shortfall.

G4S repeatedly assured ministers it would "overshoot" recruitment targets and only admitted it would fail last week, Home Secretary Theresa May told MPs.

There are questions about the level of training the G4S staff who will be duty have received.

MPs the Home affairs Committee will want to know precisely G4S realised there was a problem, and when told ministers and London Mayor Boris Johnson that they would fail to provide the guards they promised.

The company's contract the government was £284m, but it now stands to lose £50m, and Mr Buckles has admitted that he may lose his job as a .

Mrs May said: "G4S only told Government that they would be to meet their contractual arrangements last Wednesday and we immediate action."

As as the 3,500 troops, police officers from nine forces have also been switched to Olympics security duties.

The forces involved are Dorset, Surrey, Hertfordshire, Northumbria, South Wales, Strathclyde, West Midlands, Thames Valley and Greater Manchester.

Assistant Commissioner Chris Allison, national Olympics security co-ordinator, said: "Forces are sure they make the best use of their resources locally to all they can to minimise the impact local policing."

But West Midlands Police Federation chairman Ian Edwards said it "chaos, absolute chaos".

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: "It is incomprehensible that with 11 days to , the Home Secretary still doesn't know how staff G4S are likely to provide. We all want the G4S shambles sorted swiftly now. But if even more troops and police are to be needed, they need to know fast they can prepare."

Committee Chairman Keith Vaz will want to know it was that this crisis has come to a less than two weeks before the Olympics begins a report by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary warned concerns over security 10 months ago.

This lead Games organisers increase the number of security guards to supplied by G4S from 2,000 to 10,400 the value of the contract more than trebled £86m to £284m.

Mr Vaz said: "With a fortnight to go the Olympics, it is vital that the government has the security situation hand. The shortfall in security guards provided by G4S and the drafting of armed forces personnel a shocking development so close to Games.

"It is vital that the public is safe and not left of pocket by this debacle."


Adapted and abridged from: Sky News, July 17, 2012.