§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what estimate he has made of the cost of exempting volunteers from fees for(a) criminal conviction certificates, (b) criminal record certificates and (c) enhanced criminal record certificates; [126991]
(2) what his latest estimate is of the fee to be charged for (a) criminal conviction certificates, (b) criminal record certificates and (c) enhanced criminal record certificates; [126992]
150W(3) what plans he has to review his policy on the liability of volunteers for fees for criminal conviction certificates, criminal record certificates and enhanced criminal record certificates; [126993]
(4) what estimate he has made of the number of volunteers each year who will require (a) criminal conviction certificates, (b) criminal record certificates and (c) enhanced criminal record certificates once the Criminal Records Bureau is in operation; [126990]
(5) what estimate he has made of (a) the start-up costs and (b) the first year's operating costs of the Criminal Records Bureau; and if he will make a statement. [126989]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeThe Criminal Records Bureau is being established within the framework of a Public Private Partnership. The Department has planned provision across the three financial years 1999-2002 for expenditure of around £10 million in connection with the establishment of the Bureau. But the Bureau's full operating costs will not be known until a contract has been awarded to the private sector partner.
It has always been planned that the Bureau's costs should be recovered through the charges that it makes for certificates. Work on the level of fees must await information about the Bureau' s operating costs. But we have made clear our determination to keep the cost of certificates as low as possible. Reducing or waiving charges in respect of particular voluntary organisations, or for the voluntary sector as a whole, would raise substantial problems of principle and would either place an added burden on the public purse or lead to an increased level of fee for others seeking certificates from the Bureau, who may be no less deserving than volunteers.
Part V of the Police Act 1997, under which the Bureau is being established, does not require volunteers to apply for certificates. It will generally be for organisations to decide who will require a certificate. Work is continuing on estimating the likely number of applicants for certificates, building on work on demand estimates and market research, and will be subject to consultation before final conclusions are reached.
Before we make Regulations to prescribe various matters including charges for certificates, we shall undertake a Regulatory Impact Assessment, in consultation with representatives of voluntary organisations and others. This will provide a thorough and up-to-date assessment of the implications.