WRITTEN EVIDENCE
SUBMITTED BY
JOHN HUGHES-JONES
[OS 17]
I am writing to you in your capacity as Chair of
the Home Affairs Committee and in connection with that committee's
involvement in scrutinizing security arrangements for the Olympic
Games and the role of G4S in this process. I have copied my local
M.P. Chris Ruane into this correspondence as a matter of courtesy.
I am a retired Chief Inspector from the North Wales
Police and part of my background has involved secondments to both
the United Nations and European Union Policing Missions to Bosnia-Herzegovina
mentoring, monitoring and advising on the establishment of democratic
policing institutions in that country. I was also the first U.K.
police officer to be posted to Baghdad at the conclusion of the
war in Iraq in 2003 to assist a team from the U.S. Department
of Justice in re-establishing a functioning police service in
that country, followed by a further period of duty in Amman, Jordan
to assist in setting up a training centre for Iraqi police recruits.
I also had additional responsibilities as the Contingent Commander
for the U.K. Police component in both Bosnia-Herzegovina and Jordan.
I was awarded the M.B.E in the December 2004 Iraq Honours list.
Subsequently, I have recently returned to the U.K. after completing
a three years contract as a Strategic Adviser on Operational policing
to Abu Dhabi Police, working with Sir Ronnie Flanagan, the former
Chief H.M.I.
In common with many other retired police and military
colleagues I was approached in January, 2012 by G4S and invited
to apply for a Security Manager's post with the company for the
duration of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
On 2 March 2012 I attended an assessment centre for
a Manager's post held in London and was informed by e-mail the
following week that I'd been successful, and subject to satisfactory
vetting and disclosure, I would be invited to attend a Manager's
training course at the earliest available opportunity. I was told
to expect notification of these dates in May 2012.
On 30 May, having heard nothing from G4S, I contacted
them again to ask for an update. I subsequently received a phone
call inviting me to attend the two weeks training courses on the
week commencing 17 June 2012.
On 12 June 2012 I received an e-mail from G4S inviting
me down to London to attend a Manager's Workshop on 14 June! Due
to the very short notice I declined as I had other arrangements
in place. A further e-mail was received late the next day cancelling
the event, however many colleagues I subsequently spoke to had
made arrangements to attend only to find their journeys had been
unnecessary.
I attended the first week of the Manager's course
on the 18 June 2012 in London and it was evident from speaking
to colleagues that there were serious concerns about G4S's overall
handling of the recruiting process. On the opening day of the
course we were addressed by the company's Director of Operations
who played down the issues that were then emerging and advised
us that we had to carry on regardless. The general disquiet among
those attending the course about issues not being resolved resulted
in a further meeting being arranged with a senior member of the
company's H.R. Department, who quite frankly was unable to offer
any substantial reassurance.
On 19 July 2012 I was again invited to London to
pick up my accreditation and uniform. However, the company representatives
could not inform me where and when I was scheduled to work, but
they did let slip that my job designation had been downgraded
from what I originally believed to be the case to a role that
carried a lower pay grade, much to my surprise. Subsequent telephone
calls to the company have gone unanswered, despite assurances
of a response by e-mail.
As I write, we are now only four days away from the
start of the Games and I am sat at home with a uniform and accreditation
but no contract, payroll number or any idea when or where I am
expected to work. Neither I or my colleagues, have been paid for
the training courses we attended, despite assurances that we would
receive such remuneration. Furthermore I have re-arranged holidays
and family commitments at relatively short notice to accommodate
my anticipated deployment, all to no avail it seems.
I now bitterly regret agreeing to take part in what
I can only describe as a fiasco. If any police force or other
public service had dealt with members of the public in such a
cavalier and unprofessional manner as displayed by G4S, then there
would be a justifiable public outcry. As policing services throughout
the U.K. face significant cutbacks in the next few years, and
the private sector are invited to fill the gaps, this should be
a salutary reminder to Government and all concerned about what
can be expected in the future—a second rate service with
no public accountability.
I have also attached some collected de-personalised
comments from many of my colleagues about their individual experiences
with G4S which you are welcome to share with the members of your
Committee.[1]
I appreciate that you will have received a lot of
correspondence in a similar vein from many others in an identical
situation however I hope that you find this letter useful for
evidence gathering purposes.
July 2012
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1 Not printed. Back
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