§ Dr. BrandTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the average costs to a voluntary organisation of access to the Criminal Records Bureau; and if he will make a statement. [96449]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeWhen the Criminal Records Bureau comes into operation, it will be expected to recover its costs through charges for the certificates that it will issue, on application, to individuals. It will be for a voluntary organisation to decide the circumstances in which individuals should apply for a certificate, the type of certificate, and whether to reimburse the cost. Until the Bureau's operating costs have been determined, it will not be possible to fix the charges for certificates, but the cost of certificates has been previously estimated at between £5 and £10, depending upon the type of certificate. We have made clear our intention to keep the cost as low as possible.