HC Deb 03 February 2004 vol 417 cc790-1W
Mr. Burstow

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what unplanned expenditure has been incurred in each financial year by(a) his Department and (b) the Criminal Records Bureau since the commencement of the Criminal Records Project. [141822]

Ms Blears

The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) is an executive agency of the Home Office. The CRB's Corporate and Business Plans for 2000–07 projected planned expenditure of £167.7 million up to 30 September 2003. Actual expenditure for the period was £123.9 million. In addition. £1.26 million was spent in the first financial year of the project, financial year 1999-2000. Planned and actual expenditure can be broken down by financial year as follows.

£million
Financial year Gross spend Planned Fee income Operating deficit Gross spend Actual Fee income Operating deficit
1999–2000 1.20 0.00 (1.20) 1.26 0.00 (0.06)
2000–01 5.30 0.00 (5.30) 4.60 0.00 (4.60)
Percentage 36.80 3.30 (33.50) 27.60 1.50 (26.10)
2002–03 83.30 63.20 (20.10) 57.90 18.30 (39.60)
¾(to 30 September 2003) 42.30 38.60 (3.70) 33.80 17.10 (16.70)
Total 168.90 105.10 (63.80) 125.16 36.90 (87.06)

The Home Office and other departments have contributed towards meeting deficits.

Mrs. Betty Williams

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether the Criminal Records Bureau is meeting its targets for processing applications for taxi driver licences; [148481]

(2) what percentage of applications for taxi driver licences were processed by the Criminal Records Bureau within target times in the latest month for which figures are available; [148482]

(3) how many applications for taxi driver licences are (a) awaiting processing and (b) being processed by the Criminal Records Bureau. [148483]

Ms Blears

I am unable to answer my hon. Friend's question about the percentage of applications for taxi-driver licences processed by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) within target times because the CRB does not hold information in that format. However, overall, the CRB has been consistently meeting its targets for processing Disclosure applications since June 2003. The following table illustrates the current position.

Service performance December Year to date
90 per cent, of Standard Disclosures issued within two weeks Exceeded 93 per cent.
90 per cent, of Enhanced Disclosures issued within four weeks Exceeded 92.9 per cent.
90 per cent, of calls answered within 20 seconds Exceeded 89.6 per cent.
5 per cent, of applications over six weeks old Exceeded n/a

To the CRB, applications awaiting processing are those where an applicant has asked for a form to be sent out and the form has not been returned to the CRB. Applications being processed are those that have been fully and correctly completed by the customer and returned to the CRB. No disclosure applications for taxi drivers or anyone else are withheld from going on to the CRB computer system; all are immediately processed upon receipt.