Fall in vetting staff 'could put national security at risk'

CUTS to government vetting agencies uncovered by the Standard could put national security at risk, defence and intelligence experts have warned.

They raised fears life was being made easier for spies and would-be terrorists who want to target Britain.

One cautioned that Whitehall could be infiltrated within two years after figures showed 50 members of staff have been axed from bodies which carry out security checks right across government since the Lib-Con coalition took office.

Staff numbers at the Defence Vetting Agency, which carries out national security checks up to the highest "top secret" level for the Ministry of Defence as well as clients throughout the public sector, fell from 459 to 412 between May and December last year.

FCO Services, which also provides a range of checks including counter-terrorist vetting for 59 customers across government, saw staff numbers fall from 78 to 75. It means about 10 per cent of staff have been cut from the two agencies combined.

Defence minister Andrew Robathan insisted the "highest standards of protection" were being maintained but conceded further cuts - or a merger of the two bodies - could yet follow.

An intelligence community source said the cutbacks were "going to have an impact", and concerns were also raised on the Government benches.

Former Tory homeland security spokesman Patrick Mercer said: "Our enemies are extremely keen to get their people into our most sensitive establishments.

"I would suggest these are probably the last sort of cuts we should be thinking about at the moment."

Labour have written to Defence Secretary Liam Fox seeking urgent assurances that there will be no impact on national security.

Shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy said: "People will be concerned that it is being weakened."