§ Mrs. BrookeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people having passed the Prison Service recruitment selection process are awaiting clearance by the Criminal Records Bureau; and if he will make a statement. [123309]
§ Paul GogginsOn 2 September 2003, the Criminal Records Bureau had 202 outstanding applications for disclosure of criminal records submitted by Her Majesty's Prison Service. However, it is not possible to identify from the Criminal Records Bureau database how many of these are as a result of recruitment586W exercises and how many result from internal redeployment and promotion. This information could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.
The Criminal Records Bureau was set up to assist in the safer recruitment of people working with children and vulnerable adults. It has the capacity to issue 60,000 disclosures a week and is currently meeting its service levels, issuing 90 per cent of standard disclosures within two weeks and 90 per cent of enhanced disclosures within four weeks.
The Prison Service uses the Criminal Records Bureau to obtain an additional check for those working with children under 18 years of age as required by the Protection of Children Act 1999.