§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what his working estimate is of the demand for(a) basic, (b) standard and (c) enhanced disclosures for the first two years of the operation of the Criminal Records Bureau; [4956]
(2) if he will place in the Library a copy of the Code of Practice for Registered Bodies drawn up by the Criminal Records Bureau; [4958]
(3) what plans he has to amend the law to allow the Criminal Records Bureau access to sources of criminal records now denied to it; [4957]
(4) how many registered bodies have been registered with the Criminal Records Bureau; and how many applications have been received but not yet registered; [4959]
(5) when the Criminal Records Bureau will commence the issue of (a) enhanced, (b) standard and (c) basic disclosures. [4960]
672W
§ Beverley Hughes[holding answer 19 July 2001]: I have assumed that the hon. Gentleman is interested in the National Probation Service. The new areas Greater London and South Wales came into being on 1 April 2001 and the figures shown are totals of the constituent services. For South Western I have added all services in the south-west region. Information is not yet collected centrally on staff absence.
§ Mr. Denham[holding answer 19 July 2001]: The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) will phase in the issue of Enhanced and Standard Disclosures later this year, subject to its systems and processes having been proved under test and pilot conditions and shown to be capable of delivering the required level of service to its customers. We intend to commence the issue of Basic Disclosures in the summer of 2002.
It is expected that demand will begin at a relatively low level and build up. Cost and business projections have been based on the following levels of demand during this and the next financial year:
Disclosures 2001–02 2002–03 Enhanced 925,000 3,200,000 Standard 75,000 300,000 Basic 0 2,800,000 The CRB will rely on the Phoenix database of the Police National Computer (PNC) as its source of criminal records information. The PNC holds details of recordable offences from England and Wales. Scottish records are also routinely copied to PNC. Work is continuing with a view to ensuring that details of convictions in Northern Ireland are also available to the CRB to the extent that is necessary.
The 'Code of Practice for registered persons and other recipients of disclosure information' was published on 26 April 2001, under section 122(1) of the Police Act 1997. The Code was also laid before Parliament in accordance with section 122(2) of the Act. The Code was placed in the Library on 26 April 2001.
673WOn 17 July 2001 the CRB had received 493 applications for registration. We intend that the processing of these applications will begin by the end of July 2001, when the automated system for processing registration applications will be operational.