§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the implications for care home insurance liability of the postponement of criminal records bureau checks and the protection of vulnerable adults list. [84592]
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 2 December 2002]: A criminal record disclosure forms one of many checks persons caring for vulnerable adults have in order to work with this client group. Measures are already in place to ensure the projection of vulnerable adults from abuse. Persons caring for vulnerable adults continue to be subject to rigorous pre-employment checks, including confirming previous employment history and taking up references, to ensure their suitability for the position in question. Therefore these postponements should not represent an increase in the insurance liability of care homes.