Vetting: Local Education Authorities
Children, Schools and Families

Stewart Jackson (- Shadow Minister, Communities and Local Government; Peterborough, Conservative)

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Aylesbury of 16 October 2009, Official Report, column 1106W, on schools: vetting, what guidance has been given to local authorities on whether (a) lead member councillors and (b) other councillors required to register under the vetting and barring scheme will also be required to undergo Criminal Records Bureau checks.

Dawn Primarolo (Minister of State, Department for Children, Schools and Families; Bristol South, Labour)

No guidance has been issued to local authorities on whether lead members and other councillors who are required to register under the vetting and barring scheme will also be required to undergo Criminal Records Bureau checks. Individual councillors may currently undergo CRB checks because of particular functions they may exercise for the local authority for which they are a member, for example being a member of the local authority's fostering or adoption panel. The Government confirmed in their response to Sir Roger Singleton's report 'Drawing the Line' on the vetting and barring scheme, Hansard, 14 December 2009, column 50WS, that they intends to review their requirements for CRB disclosures.