§ Mr. BaileyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment was made of the increase in running costs to the Criminal Records Bureau that necessitated the recent increase in fee levels; [131815]
(2) what the changes were since 1993 in fees from the Criminal Records Bureau to local authorities for applications for posts in the education and social care sectors. [131819]
§ Paul GogginsThe Criminal Records Bureau began operating in March 2002. Initially, the fee for both Standard and Enhanced Disclosures was £12 (with Disclosures issued free of charge to volunteers). We made it clear that the Bureau would eventually become self-financing through the fees that it charged and that the fees would be reviewed regularly. With effect from 1 July 2003, the fee for Standard Disclosures has risen to £24 and for Enhanced Disclosures to £29. A copy of a Regulatory Impact Assessment containing more detailed information has been placed in the Library.
The Disclosure fee is determined by a combination of CRB costs and the volume of applications. The deferment of the introduction of Basic Disclosures has inevitably meant that the volumes of Disclosures issued has been less than forecast, thereby pushing up the unit cost of producing each Disclosure. In addition, the CRB has experienced some increase in costs, for example, as a result of the introduction of the paper application channel in response to customer demand. The CRB's planned expenditure in 2003–04 is £75 million (on the basis of a projected demand for 2.3 million Disclosures) as compared with an outturn of £59 million in 2002–03 (when some 1.5 million Disclosures were issued).
§ Mr. BaileyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what the average time taken to assess a Criminal Records Bureau application in the education and social care sectors was in the last quarter for which figures are available; [131816]
(2) what the backlog is of Criminal Records Bureau assessments in education and social care. [131817]
§ Paul GogginsThe specific information that my hon. Friend has asked for on processing times for applicants in the education and social care sectors is not available from the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) systems. The CRB does monitor and report on the average time to deal with all Disclosure applications, but its systems do not break this information down by sector.
Likewise, the number of applications from individual sectors that are still awaiting a disclosure is not available. At present, however, the Bureau is processing in excess of 90 per cent. of all Enhanced Disclosures in four weeks and 90 per cent. of all Standard disclosures in two weeks. These performance figures are available on the CRB website: www.crb.gov.uk
747WThe CRB also monitors the number of applications that have been outstanding for more than six weeks. As at 4 October 2003, the latest date for which figures are available, the number of applications over six weeks old and awaiting completion is 1,486.
§ John CryerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to reduce the time taken for Criminal Records Bureau checks to be carried out on new staff in care homes. [133272]
§ Paul GogginsOver 90 per cent. of Standard and Enhanced Disclosures are now issued within two and four weeks respectively, exceeding current service standards. These have been set based on experience gained of this complex operation. The current targets are realistic but challenging. They will be kept under review.
We are determined to continue to improve the efficiency of the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and the quality of the service it provides to its customers. Measures are currently under consideration in light of the recommendations of the Independent Review Team appointed by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary which are designed to reduce processing time.
As the independent regulator, the National Care Standards Commission (NCSC) has the responsibility to ensure that care homes meet all their statutory obligations. It has stated clearly that where CRB clearances are not in place, and provided that the welfare of care home residents is protected, it will apply its discretion on the use of its enforcement powers on a case by case basis. The NCSC issued a press release on 22 September 2003 setting out its approach to CRB checks for care home staff. A copy is available on the NCSC's website at www.carestandards.org.uk.
§ Mr. WatersonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received in the increase in fees for security checks charged by the Criminal Records Bureau. [133384]
§ Paul GogginsWe have received—both direct and through right hon. and hon. Members—a significant number of representations. These have chiefly concerned two issues: the size of the increases in fees, which reflect increased unit costs and the need for the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) to move substantially towards a target of being self-financing by 2005–06; and the short notice of the increases which reflected the need to reduce the possibility of a surge in demand which could have had a detrimental effect on the CRB's operation.