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Home Office

Answer

Mrs. Betty Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether the Criminal Records Bureau is meeting its targets for processing applications for taxi driver licences; [148481] (2) what percentage of applications for taxi driver licences were processed by the Criminal Records Bureau within target times in the latest month for which figures are available; [148482] (3) how many applications for taxi driver licences are (a) awaiting processing and (b) being processed by the Criminal Records Bureau. [148483] Ms Blears: I am unable to answer my hon. Friend's question about the percentage of applications for taxi- driver licences processed by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) within target times because the CRB does not hold information in that format. However, overall, the CRB has been consistently meeting its targets for processing Disclosure applications since June 2003. The following table illustrates the current position. _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Service performance December Year to date 90 per cent. of Standard Disclosures Exceeded 93 per cent. issued within two weeks 90 per cent. of Enhanced Disclosures Exceeded 92.9 per cent. issued within four weeks 90 per cent. of calls answered within Exceeded 89.6 per cent. 20 seconds 5 per cent. of applications over six Exceeded n/a weeks old _________________________________________________________________________________________________. To the CRB, applications awaiting processing are those where an applicant has asked for a form to be sent out and the form has not been returned to the CRB. Applications being processed are those that have been fully and correctly completed by the customer and returned to the CRB. No disclosure applications for taxi drivers or anyone else are withheld from going on to the CRB computer system; all are immediately processed upon receipt.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

417 c807-9W;417 c791W; 148481;148482;148483

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Criminal records Applications Administrative delays Driving Taxis Standards Vetting Criminal Records Bureau

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk