Written question asked by Andrew Mackinlay (Labour) on Monday, 19 December 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 9 January 2006. It was answered by Hazel Blears (Labour) on Monday, 16 January 2006 on behalf of the Home Office.

Police

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether a conviction for the (a) use of and (b) possession of cocaine while a teenager continues to disqualify a person from successfully applying to become a police officer in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: The Home Office provides guidance to police forces on vetting applicants who have a criminal record but it is for the police force concerned to make decisions on individual cases.Guidance is provided in HOC 54/2003. Forces are advised that convictions which will lead to rejection unless there are exceptionally compelling circumstances include serious involvement in drugs including possession of a Class A drug or more than one Class B drug and/or supplying drugs of any kind.Each case is treated on its own merits, and if the offence is deemed sufficiently serious, a person will be rejected irrespective of age at the time of offending.Generally, a juvenile conviction within the last five years for any recordable offence will lead to rejection.However, any offence committed as an adult or a juvenile which results in a prison sentence (including custodial, suspended or deferred sentence and sentences served at a young offenders' institution or community home) will lead to rejection unless there are exceptionally compelling circumstances.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 39601; 441 c1089-90W
Session: 2005-06
Subjects: Criminal records Applications Convictions Drugs Police Recruitment Misuse Vetting Cocaine
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk