HC Deb 18 June 2003 vol 407 cc303-4W
Bob Spink

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make it his policy to recompense schools for the additional costs of searches through the Criminal Records Bureau. [118753]

Mr. Miliband

The cost of Criminal Records Bureau Disclosures falls to individuals. Schools which choose to pay for Disclosures on behalf of staff are expected to meet the cost from within their existing budgets. My Department is contributing £7.4 million towards the Bureau's costs in 2003–04.

Mr. Damian Green

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what total costs schools have incurred since September 2002 as a result of the Criminal Records Bureau checks. [119431]

Mr. Miliband

The cost of CRB checks falls to individuals: schools which decide to pay their fee are expected to meet this cost from within their existing budgets. I am not able to provide information on the costs involved as my Department does not hold information on the number of checks which have been carried out on school-based staff.

Mr. Willis

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the cost to(a) schools and (b) his Department of funding Criminal Records Bureau checks in (i) 2002 and (ii) 2003. [118134]

Mr. Miliband

My Department is not able to estimate the cost to schools of funding CRB checks as we do not hold information on the number of CRB checks which schools have applied for. The cost of applications falls to individuals: schools which decide to pay their fee are expected to meet this cost from within their existing budgets. My Department contributed £4.2 million towards the CRB's costs in 2002–03 and will contribute a further £7.4 million in 2003–04.