§ Mr. Paul MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the impact on(a) local authorities and (b) voluntary organisations of the Criminal Records Bureau's decision to increase the cost of standard and enhanced checks. [121724]
§ Paul GogginsResponsibility for paying the fee for a criminal record disclosure rests with the individual applicant, although it is open to the employer to reimburse the cost. Checks will remain free in the case of volunteers (saving the voluntary sector an estimated £10 million in 2003–04). I have placed in the Library a Regulatory Impact Assessment which assesses the impact of the fee increase across all sectors.
§ Mr. Paul MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many criminal record checks were carried out by employers in(a) Shrewsbury and Atcham, (b) Shropshire and (c) England in each year since 1997; how much the checks cost them; and how many volunteers were checked for criminal records by organisations in (i) Shrewsbury and Atcham, (ii) Shropshire and (iii) England in each year since 1997. [121727]
§ Paul GogginsInformation is not available in the form requested.
Table 1 shows total numbers of police checks undertaken by forces in England in those financial years for which information is available, under arrangements agreed at national level by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), in relation to
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- persons working with children;
- proprietors and managers of residential care homes and nursing homes;
- civilian fine enforcement officers; and
- applicants for taxi and private hire vehicle drivers' licences.
Table 1 Total number of checks 1997–98 746,986 1998–99 748,856 1999–2000 835,563 2000–01 849,053 Table 2 shows total numbers of police checks on volunteers undertaken by forces in England (some are national organisations and may include checks conducted in Wales) on behalf of vol untary organisations and channelled through the Voluntary Organisations Consultancy Service (VOCS), taken from the annual report of VOCS in relation to the calendar year indicated:
Table 2 Total number of checks 1997 9,796 1998 10,558 1999 10,533 2000 11,476 2001 12,448 2002 12,661 Under ACPO policy, forces undertook checks under arrangements agreed nationally free of charge.
In the 2002–03 financial year, its first year of operation, the Criminal Records Bureau issued 6,463 Disclosures in response to applications countersigned by registered bodies in Shrewsbury and Atcham; and in the 2003–04 financial year, up to 27 June, has issued 1,557. The corresponding figures for England and Wales as a whole were 1,442,000 and 473,745. Not all of these Disclosures were issued at the behest of employers. Figures are not available in respect of Shropshire. The fee for a Disclosure was £12 until 1 July 2003, when the fee for a Standard Disclosure became £24, and for an Enhanced Disclosure, £29. Disclosures for volunteers are issued free of charge.
§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many(a) local authorities, (b) voluntary organisations and (c) children's charities were consulted about the proposed increases to disclosure fees for standard and enhanced disclosures by the Criminal Records Bureau; and how many organisations consulted supported an increase in fees; [122767]
(2) what estimate he has made of the impact on the children's charity sector of proposed increases to disclosure fees for standard and enhanced disclosures by the Criminal Records Bureau. [122769]
§ Paul GogginsIn order to maintain an even demand for the Disclosure service, it was not possible to consult in advance of the fee increase being announced.
Responsibility for paying the fee for a criminal record Disclosure rests with the individual applicant, although it is open to the employer to reimburse the cost. Checks will remain free in the case of volunteers (saving the voluntary sector an estimated £10 million in 2003–04). I have placed a copy in the Library.