Criminal Records Bureau Checks (Hansard, 20 January 2003)

§ Mr. Burstow
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will estimate how many persons caring for(a) children and (b) vulnerable adults will not have Criminal Records Bureau checks. [89989]
(2) when his Department will publish guidance to registered bodies about the postponement of Criminal Records Bureau checks as set out in the announcement of 1 November 2002. [89983]
(3) if he will estimate how many (a) children, and (b) vulnerable adults will be cared for by adults who had not received a Criminal Records Bureau check following the announcement of 1 November 2002. [89933]
(4) how many (a) nurses supplied by nurses agencies and (b) staff supplied by domiciliary care agencies he estimates will no longer have to have Criminal Records Bureau checks. [89979]
(5) how many care home staff who would have required Criminal Records Bureau checks before 1 April have had checks postponed until (a) 31 March and (b) 2004. [89985]
(6) when he expects the Criminal Records Bureau will be able to cope with the demand associated with implementing the protection of vulnerable adults list. [90139]

§ Hilary Benn
I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary gave my hon. Friend the Member for Hendon (Mr. Dismore) on 4 November 2002,Official Report, column 99W. in the light of a review of the projected likely capacity of the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) against projected demand for its service, it has been necessary to take temporary measures not to increase the level of demand by postponing certain requirements for mandatory checks.
In care homes for adults, only providers and managers were subject to checks prior to 1 April 2002. An estimated 100,000 new staff per year will continue to be subject to CRB checks, as will providers and managers. But an estimated 300,000 staff who were already in post on 1 April and who have not already applied for checks will not need to be checked for the time being. These checks will now be required during the course of 2004.
Both new and existing nurses supplied by nurses agencies, and staff supplied by domiciliary care agencies, will also not need to be checked for the time being. A requirement for all such personnel to be checked in the current financial year would have entailed up to an estimated 200,000 in each group.
179W
Thereafter, it is estimated that some 50,000 staff supplied by nurses agencies and 60,000 staff supplied by domiciliary care agencies would have needed to be checked each year. Nurses supplied as new staff to establishments where requirements for mandatory checks are in force (including adult care homes and children's homes) will continue to be subject to checks. So will providers and managers of nurses agencies and domiciliary care agencies.
Finally, school governors will also not be required to have CRB checks for the time being. Such checks would have generated an estimated 70,000–90,000 applications per year.
We remain firmly committed to introducing requirements for CRB checks, and to the implementation of the protection of vulnerable adults list, at the earliest opportunity.
The CRB issued guidance to all registered bodies detailing these changes on 4 November 2002; the guidance is available on the CRB's disclosure website at 222.disclosure.gov.uk. The Department for Education and Skills also issued guidance to Local Education Authorities on 29 November (available on www. teachernet.gov.uk).

§ Mr. Burstow
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps have been taken to ensure that prison service staff who come into contact with juvenile offenders in adult prisons have been subject to a Criminal Records Bureau check. [91203]

§ Hilary Benn
The Prison Service has arrangements in place instructing governors to undertake a check on all those who have regular contact with children under 18 years of age using the Criminal Records Bureau.
The arrangements apply to all staff, fee-paid, contractors, agency staff, researchers/research students, volunteers and project workers who will come into regular contact with children and those who supervise or manage such staff.