HC Deb 07 March 1988 vol 129 cc6-7W
Mr. Rowe

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prospective employees of local authority social service departments have been referred to the Metropolitan police for checks under his Department's circular (86)44 since July 1986; and how many checks were still outstanding at 31 January.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

I am informed by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that up to 29 February 1988 15,042 prospective employees of local authority social services departments have been referred to the Metropolitan police for checks since the arrangements announced in Home Office circular (86)44 came into force; 703 enquiries were outstanding on that date.

Mr. Rowe

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a table showing(a) the number of applicants to local authority social services departments who have been referred to each local police authority for checks under the terms of his Department's circular (86) 44 and (b) the average delay in each authority.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

The information requested is shown in the table. The latest figures available are for the period 17 July 1986 to 31 August 1987.

Police force Number of enquiries received from social services departments Total number of enquiries received from all sources Average response times (days)
Avon and Somerset 4,850 9,800 4–10
Bedfordshire 1,118 1,437 7–10
Cambridgeshire 3,426 4,911 3–14
Cheshire 6,578 7,208 14
City of London 7 7 14–21
Cleveland 3,084 4,964 7
Cumbria 484 512 2–7
Derbyshire 43 477 21
Devon and Cornwall 3,586 5,944 4
Dorset 2,567 2,662 14
Durham 2,312 5,049 2
Dyfed-Powys 924 1,625 21
Essex 2,011 4,545 42–56
Gloucestershire 2,180 2,341 2
Greater Manchester 1 8,628 14
Gwent 1,142 2,013 10
Hampshire 1 2,844 10
Hertfordshire 1 128 7
Humberside 1,653 2,045 14
Kent 1,165 7,963 28–42
Lancashire 4,626 5,670 14
Leicestershire 957 1,010 7
Lincolnshire 2,163 4,317 3

Police force Number of enquiries received from social services departments Total number of enquiries received front all sources Average response times (days)
Merseyside 3,557 10,088 14–28
Metropolitan 1,684 3,971 35–42
Norfolk 2,901 2,946 10
Northamptonshire 2,462 2,497 14
Northumbria 1,890 5,930 14
North Wales 1 2,173 3–4
North Yorkshire 804 832 14–28
Nottinghamshire 0 29 1
South Wales 1 5,365 7–10
South Yorkshire 1 3,268 2
Staffordshire 2,327 3,168 2
Suffolk 1,169 2,489 14
Surrey 748 1,711 14
Sussex 4,010 6,375 2
Thames Valley 3,552 5,189 14–21
Warwickshire 2,631 2,766 7–10
West Mercia 1,388 2,096 10
West Midlands 6,317 9,025 3
West Yorkshire 3,298 3,700 3–28
Wiltshire 158 1,558 10
1 These forces do not keep separate records of inquiries from social services departments.

Mr. Rowe

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his Department has received any representations on delays in recruitment to local authority social service departments caused by police checks under his Department's circular (86)44; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

We have received 11 representations from, or on behalf of, local authorities about delays in recruitment caused by police checks under the arrangements announced in Home Office circular (86)44. We are discussing the points raised with the police and the local authority associations.