The Department receives monthly updates from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) on the time taken by police forces, including West Midlands police, to complete local police checks as part of the disclosure application process.

The average number of working days taken to process a Disclosure and Barring Service disclosure application, by police force area, for the period November 2013 to October 2014, is provided in the table below:

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificates are designed to help employers make more informed recruitment decisions.
Self-employed people cannot apply directly to the DBS for a standard or enhanced criminal record certificate. This is because the legislation requires that the purpose of the check is to assess the individual’s suitability for a particular post or activity, and that a recruiting organisation must confirm the eligibility of a position for a criminal records check. A self-employed individual cannot assess their own suitability to work in a specific role.

Self-employed people may obtain basic criminal record checks, which provide details of unspent convictions or may seek standard or enhanced checks for eligible posts if they are working with employment agencies or other employers such as schools or local authorities.

Those resident in England and Wales may apply to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for standard or enhanced criminal record certificates. At present, basic certificates, which contain details only of unspent convictions, are provided by Disclosure Scotland for applicants in England and Wales. This service has been formally delegated to Disclosure Scotland by the DBS as
further changes are required to DBS technical systems to deliver the service.

It is intended to provide the service through the DBS in due course.

An individual may also make a Subject Access Request to their local police force under the Data Protection Act 1998 which will generate information held on police records.

From 1 December 2012 to 30 November 2014, the Independent Monitor reviewed 576 cases. Of these, the Independent Monitor has deleted police discretionary information entirely in 29 cases, partially deleted information in 36 cases and has amended wording in 10 cases.

Foreign nationals who are convicted of such offences in the United Kingdom will be subject to the same monitoring and public protection arrangements as British nationals. Those sent to prison will also be considered for deportation. Furthermore, where a foreign national is in the United Kingdom and has been identified as having been convicted of a serious sexual or violent offence abroad, for example after a police check on foreign convictions following an arrest, the case will be referred to the Home Office to consider if deportation is appropriate.

Where previous foreign convictions for sexual offences are known, the police can apply to a magistrates’ court for a notification order which makes the individual subject to the same notification requirements as if they had been convicted in the UK (i.e. they are put on the “sex offenders’ register”). Similarly, where there exists a foreign conviction for specified violent offences, including murder and manslaughter, and where the individual poses a risk of serious violent harm to the public the police may apply for a violent offender order under the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, as amended by section 119 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime & Policing Act 2014.Serious sexual and violent offences committed overseas which are known to our authorities may be included on Disclosure and Barring Service disclosures. They may also be taken into account in deciding whether to bar an individual from working with children or vulnerable adults.

The DBS hold quarterly meetings with NHS Professionals, a DBS Registered Body which supports applicants from the hospital and care home sectors in making disclosure applications. No complaints have been raised by this Registered Body with
regard to delays with applications.

The agreed standard for police disclosure performance is set out in a Service Level Agreement between each force and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). The standards include a requirement for forces to complete 100% of
local checks within 60 days. Where performance falls below this standard, action will be taken. The DBS will work with the force to develop and agree a recovery plan. Performance will be monitored against the plan and further
action agreed as appropriate.

Before the start of General Purpose Force training on 11 June 2014, the UK held extensive discussions with the Libyan government on the selection and vetting of Libyan trainees. The Libyan government provided trainee candidates who had
been through Libyan vetting and selection processes.

These candidates were subject to additional UK vetting in Libya to ensure thoseselected met Foreign Office, Ministry of Defence and Home Office requirements on security, immigration, medical, physical, literacy, and numeracy criteria as
well as representing a distribution of trainees that was geographically representativeof Libya.

Home Office visa processes included checks against UK criminal databases and a visa declaration by all trainees that confirmed they held no criminal convictionsor charges in the UK or elsewhere. We are not aware that any of those candidates
who passed UK screening had criminal convictions or faced charges at that time in theUK or elsewhere.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Rayleigh and Wickford (Mr Francois) of 4 December to question 214126.

There have been a series of recent checks to confirm the adequacy of the IT systems used in the national security vetting process. These include: a comprehensive Defence Information Assurance audit, penetration tests and the re-awarding of the vetting system by the Defence Assurance Information Secretary. In addition, a complete refresh of all the electronic forms used in the vetting process is planned to take place in 2015.

Prior to the start of General Purpose Force training on 11 June 2014, the UK had numerous discussions with the Libyan government on the selection and vetting of Libyan trainees. These conversations included the United States and Italy. The Libyan government provided trainee candidates who had been through Libyan vetting and selection processes. These candidates were subject to additional UK vetting in Libya to ensure those selected met Foreign Office, Ministry of Defence and Home Office requirements on security, immigration, medical, physical, literacy, and numeracy criteria as well as meeting a distribution of trainees that was geographically representative of Libya. Home Office visa processes included checks against UK criminal databases and a visa declaration by all trainees that confirmed they held no criminal convictions or charges in the UK or elsewhere. We are not aware that any of those candidates who passed UK screening had criminal convictions or faced charges at that time in the UK or elsewhere.

Applications for an enhanced criminal record certificate are referred to police forces under certain circumstances, including where there is a match against the Police National Computer (PNC) or a match against a national database of
local police intelligence, known as PLX (Police Local Crosschecking). Between 1 April 2014 and 30 September 2014, 34.9% of applications for a DBS enhanced check were referred to local police forces as part of the Disclosure process.

The Department has had a small number of queries from MPs regarding delays to their constituents enhanced disclosures in recent months.

The following table shows the number of standard certificates that have been delayed by more than two weeks in each month in 2014.

The average length of time taken to process a standard DBS certificate in each month of 2014 is illustrated below:

DBS does not hold specific information relating to the number of complaints received concerning delays in processing standard certificates.

The Department has had a small number of queries from MPs regarding delays to their constituents enhanced disclosures in recent months.

The following table shows the number of standard certificates that have been delayed by more than two weeks in each month in 2014.

The average length of time taken to process a standard DBS certificate in each month of 2014 is illustrated below:

DBS does not hold specific information relating to the number of complaints received concerning delays in processing standard certificates.

The Department has had a small number of queries from MPs regarding delays to their constituents enhanced disclosures in recent months.

The following table shows the number of standard certificates that have been delayed by more than two weeks in each month in 2014.

The average length of time taken to process a standard DBS certificate in each month of 2014 is illustrated below:

DBS does not hold specific information relating to the number of complaints received concerning delays in processing standard certificates.

The Department has had a small number of queries from MPs regarding delays to their constituents enhanced disclosures in recent months.

The following table shows the number of standard certificates that have been delayed by more than two weeks in each month in 2014.

The average length of time taken to process a standard DBS certificate in each month of 2014 is illustrated below:

DBS does not hold specific information relating to the number of complaints received concerning delays in processing standard certificates.