The UK government’s security vetting process for staff has been criticized by a parliamentary committee for causing “unacceptable delays” that may increase national security risks. The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) claimed that the Cabinet Office has failed to address the issue since taking over United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) in April 2020. The PAC’s report blamed increased demand and understaffing for UKSV being unable to meet its performance targets since 2021. Security and counterterrorism expert David Lowe warned that the backlog could lead to personnel changes being missed and understaffing. The average processing time for clearance levels such as Counter Terrorist Checks and Developed Vetting has been delayed, with targets being missed since August 2021. The Cabinet Office denies causing any risks, but the PAC claims that it has refused to address the problem. A spokesperson for the Cabinet Office says that it has worked closely with UKSV to reduce the backlog, with over 200,000 security checks successfully completed in the past year.