HL Deb 16 November 2004 vol 666 cc136-7WA
Lord Patten

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the Criminal Records Bureau in Liverpool is meeting its performance targets; and [HL4725]

In relation to any delays in the processing of applications at the Criminal Records Bureau, what is their estimate of

  1. (a) the cost to voluntary organisations; and
  2. (b) the number of persons wishing to volunteer who have been unable to do so; and [HL4726]

Whether they will set up a department either within the Criminal Records Bureau, or external to it, which would help voluntary organisation wishing to make representations about any delays in the processing of applications. [HL4727]

Baroness Scotland of Asthal

Since June 2003, the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) has on average met its public service standards of delivering 90 per cent of standard disclosures within two weeks and 90 per cent of enhanced disclosures within four weeks. However, during the period June to August 2004 the CRB operated outside these service levels, for enhanced disclosures only. This was primarily due to the fact that a small number of police forces were experiencing staffing and operational difficulties within their disclosure units. The CRB has worked very closely with these forces to help them improve their performance. This has enabled the CRB to recover its position and once more meet its service standards for enhanced disclosures for September 2004. The CRB is now able to process more checks, more quickly than ever before, with a capacity to process over 50,000 disclosures a week.

However, as the CRB has no remit in the recruitment decision it does not record whether an individual is recruited following the issue of a disclosure. It is therefore not possible to provide an estimate of the number of prospective volunteers that have been unable to undertake their work, or who have withdrawn their voluntary services, where a delay occurs in the processing of an individual disclosure application.

Subsequently it is also not possible to estimate the cost of delays to voluntary organisations. However, it is worth pointing out that disclosures for voluntary positions are issued free of charge, and it is estimated that at current levels this will save the voluntary sector some £16 million in the 2004–05 financial year.

The CRB consults widely with its service users and is already working closely with voluntary organisations. A Voluntary and Community Sector Working Group regularly meets to address and reflect the interests of volunteers and voluntary and community organisations. In particular, the group monitors the implications of the disclosure service and considers how that service should best meet the needs of the voluntary and community sector. It also encourages and supports on-going dialogue between the Home Office, the CRB and the voluntary and community sectors on issues of mutual interest with regard to the disclosure service provided by the CRB.