The Pass Office and The Member Staff Verification Office merged to form the Vetting Unit on Monday 22nd December 2014. From this date, all enquiries, Security Vetting Questionnaires and Identification should be sent or taken to the Pass Office, 1 Canon Row London SW1A 2JN.
Email enquiries can still be sent to MSVO@parliament.uk or passoffice@parliament.uk and general telephone enquiries should be made to the Pass Office on x5920.
Security clearances, ID checking and the Baseline Personnel Security Standard checks will now all be processed from the same location, which will allow the team to streamline the work with the hope that a clearance can be achieved in a more timely manner.
Upon appointment, all new members of staff who will be working for Members of the House of Commons or the House of Lords will be required to comply with the Baseline Personnel Security Standard.
The form is available here: SVQ Form 2014 (PDF)
Full information about the MSVO – for staff of Members responsible for handling appointment of new staff – can be found on the parliamentary intranet – click here to view it.
Note for new staff – Why is this needed?
Upon appointment and to gain access to the Parliamentary Estate and/or its IT network, Members’ staff must use the SVQ. Once completed it should be forwarded, together with all the required original documentation, to the Members’ Staff Verification Office (MSVO).
Note for Member or their staff administering this process. What must you do?
Upon appointment to a Member’s office, a new member of staff will be required to comply with the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) and undergo a Counter Terrorist Check (CTC), undertaken by the Members’ Staff Verification Office (MSVO) and Pass Office respectively. To do so, s/he must use the combined SVQ.
Once completed it should be forwarded, together with all the required original documentation, to the Members’ Staff Verification Office (MSVO). Please do not forget that the Member MUST sign the back of the SVQ before it is submitted to the MSVO.