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To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much revenue was raised in fees for clearance checks on those intending to work with children by the Criminal Records Bureau in the last year for which figures are available; and how much was charged per clearance check.

Asked by

Nicholas Brown (Labour)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

22 May 2007

Reference

138534; 460 c1250W

House

House of Commons

Vetting: Young People

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many under-18-year-olds have had Criminal Records Bureau checks.

Asked by

Tim Loughton (Conservative)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

17 May 2007

Reference

137234; 460 c908W

House

House of Commons

Vetting

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applicants for Criminal Records Bureau clearance checks for working with children there were in the last year for which figures are available; and how many of these applications were paid for by (a) the public purse and (b)...

Asked by

Nicholas Brown (Labour)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

15 May 2007

Reference

135688; 460 c712W

House

House of Commons

Vetting

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of Criminal Records Bureau checks which failed to pick up and list criminal offences in the latest period for which figures are available.

Asked by

Caroline Spelman (Conservative)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

8 May 2007

Reference

129474; 460 c93W;460 c94W

House

House of Commons

Criminal Records Bureau

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what steps his Department is taking to improve the performance of the Criminal Records Bureau; and if he will make a statement;

Asked by

Graham Stuart (Conservative)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

20 March 2007

For answer on

22 March 2007

Answered on

28 March 2007

Data concerning the average waiting time taken to complete a disclosure are not a performance target and are not collated by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB). The CRB operates to a set of published service standards (PSS) which include to issue 93 per cent. of standard disclosures within 10 days and 90 per cent. of enhanced disclosures within 28 days. For January 2007, the CRB issued 99.2 per cent. of standard disclosures and 90.8 per cent. of enhanced disclosures within PSS.Within these overarching performance standards, there are a number of targets that are the responsibility of the CRB that the Bureau has been meeting consistently.There are a number of other factors that can affect the timely completion of checks by the CRB, including but not restricted to the length of time it can take for an employer to deal with the initial application, the accurate completion of the application form, the clarity of the information provided, the existence of conviction or non-conviction information and the operational effectiveness of the disclosure units of the police forces involved in the enhanced disclosure process.In order to address these, the CRB has provided more support to all counter-signatories and customers in the form of detailed guidance notes which accompany the application forms to ensure that applications are completed accurately and are accompanied by all relevant supporting documentation. The CRB has also established a rigorous compliance and assurance function to ensure that registered bodies make the best use of the disclosure service.There have been fluctuations in the performance of some of the police disclosure units, caused by a combination of factors including a significant increase in disclosure applications and a combination of local staffing and IT problems.However, the police and the CRB have been working closely together to identify ways of tackling these problems in forces, which have included additional resources for disclosure unit managers and a greater degree of monitoring performance and support. These initiatives have been strengthened by a new service level agreement in April 2006 between the CRB and all the 43 forces in England and Wales, which focuses on service delivery. These measures have led to a substantial improvement in the overall disclosure process in recent months.The CRB has issued approximately 285,000 applications each month in the last six months and as at 23 March 2007 162,826 applications are in progress.

Date

28 March 2007

Reference

129604; 458 c1627-8W

House

House of Commons

Criminal Records Bureau

(2) how many people are awaiting the completion of their criminal records check prior to working with children and vulnerable adults; and if he will make a statement;

Asked by

Graham Stuart (Conservative)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

20 March 2007

For answer on

22 March 2007

Answered on

28 March 2007

Date

28 March 2007

Reference

129605; 458 c1627-8W

House

House of Commons

Criminal Records Bureau

(3) what the average time taken was for the Criminal Records Bureau to process a criminal records check for people working with children and vulnerable adults in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Asked by

Graham Stuart (Conservative)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

20 March 2007

For answer on

22 March 2007

Answered on

28 March 2007

Date

28 March 2007

Reference

129606; 458 c1627-8W

House

House of Commons

Police: Vetting

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time taken by the police force in (a) Suffolk, (b) Bedfordshire, (c) Cambridgeshire, (d) Essex, (e) Hertfordshire and (f) Norfolk was to respond to inquiries from the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) as part of routine CRB checks...

Asked by

David Ruffley (Conservative)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

13 March 2007

For answer on

15 March 2007

Answered on

22 March 2007

The following table illustrates the average number of days taken by the police forces in (a) Suffolk, (b) Bedfordshire (c) Cambridgeshire, (d) Essex, (e) Hertfordshire and (f) Norfolk to conduct checks against their local intelligence systems between the launch of the CRB disclosure service on 11 March 2002 to the end of February 2007.

Average turnaround times
	Financial year
	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07
Bedfordshire	2.1	1.9	4.9	2.5	3.7
Cambridgeshire	14.1	13.0	18.9	16.2	18.6
Essex	9.6	12.0	20.4	8.5	14.3
Hertfordshire	5.0	5.2	14.9	13.8	14.4
Norfolk	3.5	7.1	8.0	18.5	29.8
Suffolk	14.8	11.8	12.3	14.4	11.2

A revised service level agreement (SLA) came into effect in April 2006 between the CRB and the 43 police forces of England and Wales. This new agreement, which was agreed by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) places an additional focus on delivery and the responsibility of Chief Officers and ACPO to ensure that the obligations within the SLA are met. Monthly performance figures since April 2006 are now published on the CRB website at:"www.crb.gov.uk"

Date

22 March 2007

Reference

458 c1068-9W; 127870

House

House of Commons

Vetting

(2) what assessment he has made of the (a) time taken to perform and (b) cost of additional checks carried out by the Criminal Records Bureau under the requirement for individuals to be checked for each application they make to different organisations.

Asked by

Bob Spink (Conservative)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

26 February 2007

Reference

123353; 457 c1098W;457 c1082W

House

House of Commons

Vetting

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will remove the requirement for individuals who have been checked by the Criminal Records Bureau for employment in one organisation to undergo additional checks when applying for employment in other organisations;

Asked by

Bob Spink (Conservative)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

26 February 2007

Reference

123352; 457 c1098W;457 c1082W

House

House of Commons

Criminal Record Checks

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criminal record checks are carried out on (a) mini-cab drivers and (b) school assistants from non-EU countries; and if he will make a statement.

Asked by

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

26 January 2007

Reference

115963; 455 c2091W

House

House of Commons

Foreign National Criminals

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to incorporate in Criminal Records Bureau checks data relating to foreign nationals now working in the UK in occupations in contact with vulnerable groups concerning past convictions committed abroad involving serious offences against the person.

Asked by

Lord Boswell of Aynho (Conservative)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

26 January 2007

Reference

115822; 455 c2093W

House

House of Commons

Criminal Record Checks

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals have been cleared by a Criminal Records Bureau check and subsequently found to have committed an offence which should have been disclosed in that check in each of the last nine years.

Asked by

Mark Francois (Conservative)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

26 January 2007

Reference

455 c2091W; 111878

House

House of Commons

Criminal Records Bureau

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to ensure that Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks are requested of all people working with children or vulnerable adults, including those already employed when CRB checks were introduced.

Asked by

Bob Spink (Conservative)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

8 January 2007

Reference

107617; 455 c131W

House

House of Commons

CRB Checks

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average waiting time was for a police check to be completed through the Criminal Records Bureau in the last period for which figures are available.

Asked by

Roger Godsiff (Labour)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

8 January 2007

Reference

109592; 455 c128W

House

House of Commons

Criminal Records Bureau

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment the Government have made of the effect of records kept by the Criminal Records Bureau on the ability of those on whom records are kept (a) to find employment and (b) to adopt children; and if he will...

Asked by

Harry Cohen (Labour)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

21 November 2006

For answer on

23 November 2006

Answered on

29 November 2006

The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) does not hold criminal records or records of allegations. Rather, in processing disclosure applications, the CRB obtains information held by the police service and from lists held by the Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Health which contain details of individuals who are considered unsuitable to work with children and vulnerable adults. Where enhanced disclosures are made, police information may include intelligence considered relevant to the application by the chief officer of police responsible for the data.A disputes procedure exists where the accuracy of disclosed material can be challenged by the applicant. In addition, an individual may apply to the police for information to be deleted from the record. The retention or disposal of intelligence material held by the police is entirely a matter for the chief officer.Independent research shows that, of the 2.7 million checks completed in 2005, over 190,000 revealed conviction or other information on an individual. In nine out of ten cases, this information did not result in the individual being refused the position he or she sought. The majority of the convictions that resulted in the job offer being withdrawn were for theft and violence. Statistics are not held centrally on the success of applicants seeking to adopt.The CRB offers guidance to users of the service in the form of a code of practice and explanatory guide, which states that disclosure information should only be used in the context of a policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders, designed to protect applicants from unfair discrimination on the basis of non-relevant past convictions. However it is ultimately for an employer to decide an applicants suitability for a particular role.

Date

29 November 2006

Reference

103584; 453 c770-1W

House

House of Commons

Criminal Records Bureau

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how unproven allegations of child abuse are recorded by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB); how many such allegations are on CRB records; what procedure there is for the removal of an unfounded allegation; and if he will make a statement.

Asked by

Harry Cohen (Labour)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

29 November 2006

Reference

103578; 453 c770W

House

House of Commons

Criminal Records Bureau

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what checks are made by the Criminal Records Bureau on foreign nationals working in the areas of (a) education, (b) social care and (c) health; and what plans he has to review the procedures for such checks.

Asked by

Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

6 October 2006

For answer on

9 October 2006

Answered on

9 October 2006

The Criminal Records Bureau's (CRB) Disclosure service is only available for those positions and types of work included in the Exceptions Order (1975) to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The Standard and Enhanced Disclosure process includes checks against the Police National Computer (PNC) and, if applicable, a search against Section 142 of the Education Act 2002, the Protection of Children Act and Protection of Vulnerable Adults (PoCA and PoVA) lists.Enhanced Disclosures also contain a further check conducted by police forces for any relevant non-conviction information. The checks are undertaken irrespective of an applicant’s nationality or length of residence in the United Kingdom.Individuals who work in the education, social care and health sectors will require a combination of all the above checks, depending upon the nature of their work and whether their position brings them into contact with children, vulnerable adults or both.The procedures are subject to continuous review and the CRB is in discussion with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and others about seeking access to overseas conviction data. Discussions are at the preliminary stage and it is too early to say how data will be shared and there are a number of concerns that would need to be addressed, including the safety of data for inclusion within the Disclosure service, the legality of sharing data, the safety of UK data provided to overseas agencies and the interpretation of overseas conviction information to ensure that employment decisions are made consistently and effectively.In the meantime, the CRB has introduced an overseas service in February 2003 to provide details and guidance to employers and individuals on how to obtain a certificate of good conduct or a copy of a person’s own criminal record from those countries included in the overseas service.This information can be used in conjunction with the full range of pre-appointment checks to ensure that the prospective employee is suitable for the post. These pre-appointment checks are the responsibility of the employer and a CRB Disclosure is only one part of that process. Full details of this service are available on the CRB’s website at www.crb.gov.uk//overseas.Some countries, including most in the EU, also have arrangements enabling their citizens to obtain certificates of good conduct or extracts from any existing criminal record to show to prospective employers. These may be obtained once the prospective employees have arrived in the UK but it may be advisable for them to obtain the document before leaving their home country.

Date

9 October 2006

Reference

91687; 450 c485-6W;450 c489-90W

House

House of Commons

Criminal Records Bureau

(2) what arrangements are in place to ensure that all EU migrants are subject to a Criminal Records Bureau check before commencing employment in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Asked by

Graham Stuart (Conservative)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

6 October 2006

For answer on

9 October 2006

Answered on

9 October 2006

There is no direct equivalent to the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) in other EU member states. Each country operates its own arrangements for providing access to criminal record information and the CRB does not currently access overseas criminal records as part of its Disclosure service.The CRB’s Standard and Enhanced Disclosure process contains a check against the Police National Computer (PNC), which may contain details of some overseas convictions relating to British nationals. Enhanced Disclosures also contain a check conducted by police forces for any relevant non-conviction information. The checks are undertaken irrespective of an applicant's nationality or the length of time spent in the UK.Not all EU migrants in, or seeking, employment in the UK are required to obtain CRB checks; the Disclosure service is only available for those positions and types of work included in the Exception Order (1975) to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. An individual may become known to the police within days of entering the country and eligible employers should therefore always be encouraged to undertake Disclosure checks regardless of the length of time an individual has been resident in the UK.The CRB introduced an overseas service in February 2003 to provide details and guidance to employers and individuals on how to obtain a certificate of good conduct or a copy of a person’s own criminal record from those countries included in the service. This information can be used in conjunction with the full range of pre-appointment checks to ensure that the prospective employee is suitable for the post.These pre-appointment checks are the responsibility of the employer and a CRB Disclosure is only one part of that process. Full details of the overseas service are available on the CRB’s website at www.crb.gov.uk//overseas.Some countries, including most in the EU, also have arrangements enabling their citizens to obtain certificates of good conduct or extracts from any existing criminal record to show to prospective employers. These may be obtained once the prospective employees have arrived in the UK but it may be advisable for them to obtain the document before leaving their home country.Until earlier this year, there was no overarching legislative framework to enable CRB to approach other member states to obtain details of citizens’ criminal records. However, the Government have introduced legislation that has enabled the CRB to capture overseas conviction data for the first time as part of the Disclosure service.In addition and following a recent EU Council decision the Home Office, in conjunction with the CRB and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), has become involved in EU initiatives to explore how criminal record and disqualification data across EU states might be used for employment vetting and disclosure purpose. These discussions are at a preliminary stage at present and more information will become available in due course.The CRB is also in discussion with ACPO and others about seeking access to other, non-EU, overseas conviction data. ACPO have agreed in principle to work with the CRB on the development of bi-lateral agreements. However there are some concerns that need to be addressed, including the safety of data for inclusion within the Disclosure service, the legality of sharing data, the safety of UK data provided to overseas agencies and the interpretation of overseas conviction information to ensure that employment decisions are made consistently and effectively.

Date

9 October 2006

Reference

92143; 450 c486-7W;450 c490-1W

House

House of Commons

Criminal Records Bureau

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications were made to the Criminal Records Bureau for (a) enhanced and (b) standard checks in the last year for which figures are available.

Asked by

Keith Vaz (Labour)

Answering body

Home Office

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

4 September 2006

Reference

48697; 449 c1775W

House

House of Commons

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