Criminal Records Bureau Checks (Hansard, 26 April 2004)

§ Charles Hendry
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations he has received on requiring people coming from abroad to work with children or young people to have checks equivalent to those carried out by the Criminal Records Bureau before they begin work. [165830]

§ Margaret Hodge
[holding answer 19 April 2004]: I have received no representations on this matter.

§ Charles Hendry
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will require people coming from abroad to have Criminal Records Bureau checks before they can take up positions working with children or young people; and if he will make a statement. [165833]

§ Margaret Hodge
[holding answer 19 April 2004]: The Criminal Records Bureau is not able to obtain details of a person's criminal record from overseas. A limited number of overseas convictions are recorded on the Police National Computer, but the data are not comprehensive.
My Department's guidance to employers in the education service about pre-appointment checks on teachers and other people whose work will bring them into regular contact with children draws attention to the 797W fact that, if a person who they intend to appoint to work with children or young people has never lived in the UK, no purpose will be served by asking them to apply for a Disclosure when they come to this country as they will neither have a criminal record in this country, nor appear on List 99 or the Protection of Children Act List.
The Bureau's Overseas Information Service provides advice to employers on the availability of criminal record information from overseas. The service currently covers 17 countries (Denmark, France, Germany, Irish Republic, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Poland, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, Malaysia, Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Italy (excluding Vatican City) and Finland). The CRB is in discussions with the 10 accession countries to the European Union and aims to provide information through the Overseas Information Service about the criminal record information available from these countries within the next few months.
Where criminal record information is not available, we recommend that employers take extra care in taking up references and carrying out other checks on a person's background.

Numbers of day care places¹ by type of provider—North Tyneside local education authority area-1997–2003
Position at 31 March each year

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Day nurseries² ³— 600 620 770 860 ³— ³—

Full day care⁴ ³— ³— ³— ³— ³— ³— 1,600

Playgroups and pre-schools² 680 680 630 590 560 ³— ³—

Sessional day care⁴ ³— ³— ³— ³— ³— ³— 600

Child minders 1,540 1,430 1,300 1,300 1,100 ³— 1,300

Out of school clubs² 130 200 210 190 260 ³— ³—

Holiday schemes^2.5 140 190 2,300 ⁶1,500 ⁷180 ³— ³—

Out of school day care⁴ ³— ³— ³— ³— ³— ³— 700

Crèche day care⁴ ³— ³— ³— ³— ³— ³— 200

¹ Figures have been rounded to the neatest 100.

² Data Source: Children's Day Care Facilities.

³ Not available.

⁴Data Source: Ofsted.

⁵ From 1999, places at holiday schemes were counted once for each school holiday during the year. Prior to 1999, places were counted
once only.

⁶ Includes schemes which were exempt from registration.

⁷ Places may have been counted once only. See footnote 5.

With the introduction of the National Day Care Standards and the transfer of responsibilities for registration and inspection to Ofsted, child care places are classified according to whether they are full day care, sessional day care, childminder, out of school day care or crèche day care places. Previously, child care places were classified according to whether they were provided by day nurseries, playgroups and pre-schools, childminders, out of school clubs or holiday schemes. Figures for 2003 are not directly comparable with figures for earlier years because they are collected on a different basis. Some playgroups and pre-schools provide full day care and some former playgroups and pre-schools have converted to day nurseries.
Statistics on the number of childcare places registered in England were published on 19 February 2004 in a report by Ofsted "Registered Childcare Providers and Places in England, 31 December 2003". The report is

Numbers of day care places¹ by type of provider—North Tyneside local education authority area-1997–2003 Position at 31 March each year
	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003
Day nurseries²	³—	600	620	770	860	³—	³—
Full day care⁴	³—	³—	³—	³—	³—	³—	1,600
Playgroups and pre-schools²	680	680	630	590	560	³—	³—
Sessional day care⁴	³—	³—	³—	³—	³—	³—	600
Child minders	1,540	1,430	1,300	1,300	1,100	³—	1,300
Out of school clubs²	130	200	210	190	260	³—	³—
Holiday schemes^2.5	140	190	2,300	⁶1,500	⁷180	³—	³—
Out of school day care⁴	³—	³—	³—	³—	³—	³—	700
Crèche day care⁴	³—	³—	³—	³—	³—	³—	200
¹ Figures have been rounded to the neatest 100.
² Data Source: Children's Day Care Facilities.
³ Not available.
⁴Data Source: Ofsted.
⁵ From 1999, places at holiday schemes were counted once for each school holiday during the year. Prior to 1999, places were counted once only.
⁶ Includes schemes which were exempt from registration.
⁷ Places may have been counted once only. See footnote 5.