§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy that care home owners who had volunteered to participate in the Criminal Records Bureau and their staff pay the existing fees rather than the proposed increased rate. [119808]
§ Paul Goggins[holding answer 17 June 2003]: The new Disclosure fees will apply to all applications, for which a fee is payable, received by the Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) on or after 1 July. Volunteers will continue to receive free Disclosures. As my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced on 5 June 2003, Official Report, column 27WS, subject to consultation, applications for Disclosures for existing care home staff (that is, staff who were in post just before 1 April 2002) will need to be submitted to the CRB between 1 October and 30 November 2003. The Care Homes Regulations 2001, which came into force on 1 April 2002, require new care home staff to obtain a disclosure before starting work.