To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what procedures his Department follows for checking the criminal records of employees; and if he will make a statement. (213127)

A baseline personnel security standard check is carried out, in accordance with Cabinet Office guidelines, on staff in DEFRA at the point of recruitment. Contract staff, consultants and agency temps employed by the Department are also screened to the same standard.

Checking the ‘unspent’ criminal records of employees is an integral part of that process. Recruits are required to complete a criminal records declaration form which, in accordance with the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, does not require them to reveal ‘spent’ convictions. At present, one in every five declarations is checked, but from October 2008, and in line with Cabinet Office recommendations, all declarations will be checked for unspent convictions through Disclosure Scotland.

When national security vetting is necessary for a particular post, the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975, the Rehabilitation of Offenders (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 and the Rehabilitation of Offenders (Exceptions) Order (Northern Ireland) 1979 provide for a check of both spent and unspent criminal convictions.

Depending on the outcome of these checks and the satisfactory completion of the other elements of the baseline personnel security standard process, recruits can take up post and be given access to DEFRA buildings and IT systems.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of successful applicants for jobs in his Department are subjected to a criminal records check; how many (a) successful applicants and (b) criminal records checks there were in each of the last 10 years; how many successful applicants were found to have a criminal record after a criminal records check took place in each of the last 10 years; whether the selection of successful candidates to be subjected to a criminal records check is random or targeted; and if he will make a statement. (213147)

At present, and in accordance with Cabinet Office guidance, one in five applicants are selected at random and checked for ‘unspent’ criminal convictions. In accordance with the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, applicants are not required to declare ‘spent’ convictions, and therefore no checks are made in that respect. Unfortunately, figures are not readily available for each of the listed categories and periods concerned and could not be produced without our incurring disproportionate cost.