§ Baroness Blatchasked Her Majesty's Government:
Who authorised the Criminal Records Bureau to draw up a specification for, and procure, a contract with Capita for processing criminal record checks. [HL212]
§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Falconer of Thoroton)My noble and learned friend Lord Williams of Mostyn announced on 14 December 1998, in response to a Question from my noble friend Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede (WA 356), that appropriate use would be made of public private partnerships in the implementation of the Criminal Records Bureau.
Following a rigorous competitive tender process, Capita was selected as the private sector partner and the contract was awarded on 4 August 2000. The chief executive of the CRB, as the senior accountable officer, issued the specification and signed the contract with Capita. He was authorised by the then Minister of State to do so following the Minister's approval of the user requirement and the CRB business case based on the PPP procurement approach.
§ Baroness Blatchasked Her Majesty's Government:
Who set the parameters with regard to both financial and service levels for the Criminal Records Bureau to agree a specification for, and produce, a contract. with Capita for processing criminal record checks; and what were these parameters. [HL214]
§ Lord Falconer of ThorotonThe user requirement, which was approved by the then Minister of State, set the public service standards for the Criminal Records Bureau which provide the turnaround times for each type of disclosure.
The service standards are to deal with 90 per cent of enhanced disclosure applications within three weeks, 95 per cent of standard disclosures within one week and 95 per cent of basic disclosures within one week. The financial parameters for the service provision by Capita are contained within the Capita contract which was awarded following a competitive tender process and signed under authorisation by the then Minister of State.