§ Nick HarveyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many professionals working with children were screened in each of the past 10 years; how many people have been prevented from working with children after being screened in each of the past 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [38140]
§ Mr. DenhamInformation is not available in the form requested. Pre-employment screening takes various forms, including taking up references, medical checks and inquiring about previous employment history.
292WCriminal record checks have been carried out by the police, principally of employees in the statutory sector in posts (of any nature) involving substantial unsupervised access to children. The table shows available figures for such checks conducted in the years shown under arrangements agreed at national level with the Association of Chief Police Officers:
Year to 31 March 1993 654,472 1994 609,434 1995 607,573 1996 613,163 1997 657,036 1998 712,765 1999 769,515 2000 804,996 The following figures show the number of such checks that revealed convictions:
Year to 31 March 1993 33,894 1994 38,162 1995 39,679 1996 38,809 1997 46,584 1998 49,786 1999 54,060 2000 53,044 Information is not available as to numbers refused employment.
The introduction of the Criminal Records Bureau will make such checks more widely available to employers and voluntary organisations.