§ Mr. BurnsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long on average it took to process an application for screening for criminal records of care home workers in(a) July 2002, (b) October 2002, (c) January 2003, (d) April 2003 and (e) July 2003. [127463]
§ Paul GogginsInformation is not available in the form requested. There are no IT procedures at present to extract this information from the Criminal Records Bureau database. It is expected that, as systems develop, this information will become available at some point in the future.
However, average turnaround times for Standard and Enhanced Disclosures during the periods specified are shown in the table:
Days Standard Enhanced July 2002 16.71 21.04 October 2002 16.75 32.00 January 2003 26.00 47.72 April 2003 12.27 23.18 July 2003 19.25 25.91 The turnaround times for January are higher than usual because of lost production days between Christmas and New Year due to staff holidays, and a training and consolidation exercise of new PNC procedures.
The Criminal Records Bureau has been steadily improving its performance and output since October 2002. The increase in July can be attributed to a surge in applications during the last two weeks in June in advance of an increase in fees coming into effect on 1 July. Approximately 50,000 additional applications were received above the Bureau's normal intake at that time of about 43,000 applications per week. While this 412W increase in applications temporarily increased the turnaround times for applications, the Criminal Records Bureau nevertheless continued to meet its service standard targets.
§ Bob RussellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will exempt voluntary organisations from the recent increase in the level of charges to the Criminal Records Bureau for the remainder of financial year 2003–04 in respect of checks for paid staff; [127306]
(2) what estimate he has made of the cost to voluntary organisations in financial year 2003–04 of the increase in the level of charges for checks by the Criminal Records Bureau in respect of paid staff. [127398]
§ Paul GogginsWe have no plans to exempt paid employees of voluntary organisations from paying the higher rates of fee which came into force on 1 July. Responsibility for paying the fee rests primarily with the individual applicant, although it is open to the employer to reimburse the charge. Charging a lower rate in some cases would mean adjusting the charge for others, who may be not better-placed to pay. Checks remain free to volunteers, saving the voluntary and community sector an estimated £10 million in the current financial year.
I have placed in the Library a Regulatory Impact Assessment which assesses the impact of the fee increase across all sectors.
§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about the changes to the disclosure levels regarding information which the Criminal Records Bureau will be required to provide to local authorities when they check on the suitability of persons to become Hackney carriage or private hire drivers; and if he will make a statement. [129184]
§ Paul Goggins[holding answer 11 September 2003]: At present, all applicants for licences as taxi and private hire vehicle drivers are eligible for a Standard Disclosure. Some—principally those whose duties regularly involve being in sole charge of unaccompanied children (for example, under a school contract) or vulnerable adults—are eligible for an Enhanced Disclosure. Earlier this year, as part of a wider consultation exercise about recommendations of the Independent Review Team appointed by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary to look at the operation of the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB), we sought views on a proposition that the criteria for levels of Disclosure should be set by Ministers, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, on the basis of risk assessment and that it would then be the function of the CRB to ensure that the criteria were observed. An analysis of the responses received was placed in the Library on 5 June. We have since received a number of representations on this matter, instigated by the National Association of Taxi and Private Hire Licensing and Enforcement Officers. These argue that licensing authorities should determine the level of Disclosure required. This view will be taken into account in arriving at a conclusion on the matter.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Criminal Records Bureau will issue a disclosure for Kau Bellah, CRB reference 2270071. [131176]
413W
§ Paul GogginsA disclosure was issued for Kau Bellah on 24 September.
§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with colleagues from the Department of Health on the proposal of care home owners to seek a delay in the implementation of Criminal Records Bureau plans to require complete record checks prior to the employment of staff. [131324]
§ Paul GogginsNone. I am aware that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health has received a number of representations from representatives of the care home sector in the light of the National Care Standards Commission's decision to withdraw its interim guidance on Criminal Records Bureau checks for care home staff.
The National Care Standards Commission, as the independent regulator, issued a press release on 22 September in order to make its position clear on this matter. It is available on the Commission's website at www.carestandards.org.uk.