§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police forces failed to meet targets for processing criminal record checks under child protection targets in each of the last three years; how long checks took on average in each force in each year; and if he will make a statement. [123228]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeUnder 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. These targets are subject to the allocation of resources within each police force, which is the responsibility of the Chief Constable.
Available information in relation to the average time taken by forces in England and Wales to carry out checks under the terms of Home Office Circular 47/1993 in the three years to 31 March 1999 was shown in the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Torridge and West Devon (Mr. Burnett) on 17 March 2000, Official Report, columns 371–74W.
Arrangements in Scotland and Northern Ireland are a matter for the respective Secretaries of State.