§ Mr. BurnettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for the last three years for which figures are available, what was the average time taken to process a criminal record check under child protection arrangements(a) per police force area and (b) in total; and if he will make a statement. [114734]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeThe table shows information in relation to checks conducted by police forces in England and Wales under the terms of Home Office Circular 47/1993. Arrangements in Scotland and Northern Ireland are a matter for the respective Secretaries of State. 373W
Average time taken for police forces to complete an inquiry made under child protection guidance (Home Office Circular 47/1993) (A) where internal (i.e. force) inquiries are made, and (B) where inquiries outside the force are made, by Police Force Area 1996–99 Number of days 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 A B A B A B Lincolnshire 1 8 1 8 2 9 Merseyside 184 194 3 1–21 4 14–21 Metropolitan 28 33 12.6 17.9 15 20 Norfolk 4 n/a 28–42 42–56 2–3 14–21 Northamptonshire 12 25 14 26 17 33 Northumbria 4 7 4 11 5–6 14–35 North Wales 28 42–56 7–28 14–28+ 1–60 1–60 North Yorkshire 2 7 2 7 2 10 Nottinghamshire 10 15 10 30 10 25 South Wales 20 30 9 16 48 60 South Yorkshire 7–10 14–28 7–10 14–28 7–10 14–28 Staffordshire 1–5 n/a 1–5 30 1–3 30 Suffolk 5 15 4 12 14 26 Surrey 1 2–30 1 2–21 1 2–42 Sussex 4 21 4 21 5 21 Thames Valley 14 14 547 547 35 37 Warwickshire 8 3–21 9 3–21 9–12 1–21 West Mercia 7 28 5 14+ 5 5–35 West Midlands 3 28 2 28 4 35 West Yorkshire 4–30 14–30 23.25 25.4 20 23 Wiltshire 3–4 7–10 5–7 10–4 5–7 10.14 1 Problem with computer system. 2 Figures relate to 91 per cent, of checks processed for this period (Cleveland does not record the time taken to process each request). 3 Force does not request checks from other forces. 4 Force only records time taken from date form is input onto record log system to date reply sent. It does not refer to time taken from date the form was received. 5 Figures only relate to 1 June 1997–31 March 1998. Thames Valley installed a new computer system which went live on 1 June 1997 and records details more efficiently. 6 Figures relate to (a) 75 per cent, and (b) 30 per cent, of checks processed for this period (Cleveland does not record the time taken to process each request).
§ Mr. BurnettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many criminal record checks were carried out under child protection arrangements in each month in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [114735]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeThe available information is set out in the following table, which shows numbers of checks carried out by police forces in England and Wales under the terms of Home Office Circular 47/93. Arrangements in Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for the respective Secretaries of State.
374W
Criminal record checks carried out on behalf of local authorities, statutory health bodies, schools and further education
establishments (Home Office Circular 47/93), by Police Force
Area 1996–99
1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 Avon and Somerset 24,487 28,698 27,580 Bedfordshire 7,745 8,536 9,128 Cambridgeshire 7,283 9,765 15,498 Cheshire 16,697 13,374 15,411 City of London 692 802 574 Cleveland 6,710 7,709 10,452 Cumbria 4,736 6,781 6,813 Derbyshire 9,331 9,831 10,268 Devon and Cornwall 21,188 24,638 22,736 Dorset 22,479 24,792 30,231 Durham 12,999 15,339 17,456 Dyfed-Powys 11,135 12,675 10,275 Essex 15,946 15,748 16,764 Gloucestershire 6,229 6,373 11,591 Greater Manchester 37,244 36,061 32,766 Gwent 4,707 7,501 7,025 Hampshire 29,935 34,564 36,612 Hertfordshire 10,433 7,982 8,543 Humberside 13,454 14,915 16,917
Criminal record checks carried out on behalf of local authorities, statutory health bodies, schools and further education
establishments (Home Office Circular 47/93), by Police Force
Area 1996–99
1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 Kent 17,603 18,953 22,705 Lancashire 20,041 21,801 21,751 Leicestershire 7,543 7,893 20,210 Lincolnshire 7,180 8,064 12,205 Merseyside 15,482 18,203 16,170 Metropolitan 75,804 91,146 92,608 Norfolk 9,444 9,058 n/a Northamptonshire 7,864 8,504 8,802 Northumbria 18,601 22,029 23,614 North Wales 11,955 12,259 12,893 North Yorkshire 7,628 9,024 10,053 Nottinghamshire 9,939 10,132 13,123 South Wales 11,411 15,082 15,247 South Yorkshire 10,460 12,169 12,631 Staffordshire 8,311 9,297 12,407 Suffolk 5,249 5,279 6,115 Surrey 11,302 12,361 12,711 Sussex 15,483 18,204 19,974 Thames Valley 137,487 21,422 31,079 Warwickshire 5,599 6,747 6,943 West Mercia 18,239 22,066 25,631 West Midlands 37,152 40,320 38,023 West Yorkshire 16,163 18,229 18,591 Wiltshire 7,666 8,439 9,389 Total 657,036 712,765 769,515 1Figures only relate to I June 1997 to 31 March 1998. Thames Valley installed a new computer system which went live on 1 June 1997 and records details more efficiently—previous records only kept on paper and not as reliable. Note:
n/a = Figures are not available. Norfolk have ceased collecting these statistics.
375W
§ Mr. BurnettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received concerning delays in the issuing of criminal records checks on individuals under child protection arrangements; and if he will make a statement. [114733]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeWe have received several letters and telephone calls over the past year concerning delays in obtaining criminal record checks. Under arrangements agreed with the Home Office, police forces in England and Wales aim to reply to employers and other agencies within 10 days, unless inquiries need to be made of other forces in which case the aim is to reply within three weeks. However, these targets are subject to the allocation of resources within each police force which is the responsibility of the Chief Constable.
Arrangements in Scotland and Northern Ireland are a matter for the respective Secretaries of State.