To ask Her Majesty's Government what evidence there is that Criminal Records Bureau checks have reduced the incidence of child abuse. [HL2555]

Analysis from independent research conducted by Ipsos MORI between 2004 and 2007 indicates that the CRB is making a real difference to the protection of children and vulnerable adults; 80,000 unsuitable people have had offers of employment which involved working with children and vulnerable adults withdrawn on the basis of information contained on their disclosure. Many more unsuitable people are thought to be deterred from applying to work with children as a result of the requirement for a CRB check.

This analysis also demonstrates that users of the Criminal Records Bureau's (CRB) service feel that the information provided on disclosures is useful when making recruitment decisions. More than eight out of 10 customers (83 per cent) say CRB checks improves their ability to protect children and the vulnerable adults and nearly nine out of 10 customers (88 per cent) say CRB checks improves their confidence in their recruitment decisions.

Almost three in four members (72 per cent) of the general public think that the CRB is making a difference to the protection of children and vulnerable adults in this country. Over the past three years, as public awareness of the CRB increases, there has also been a reduction of around seven percentage points in the number of people worried about children and vulnerable adults becoming a victim of crime by those caring for them.

The research shows that customer satisfaction levels are at an all-time high, reflecting the year-on-year improvements made by the CRB.

To ask Her Majesty's Government under what circumstances someone must undergo multiple Criminal Records Bureau checks; and for what reasons. [HL2556]

The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) recognises that there are individuals who move frequently between short-term appointments and may not wish to apply for a fresh CRB check each time they seek a new position, especially if this occurs very frequently.

The CRB advises that organisations can accept a previously issued disclosure at their own risk but make the limitations and risks of doing so very clear. This information can be found on the CRB website at www.crb.gov.uk.

There are good reasons why a disclosure that is issued for one position may not be suitable for other positions, including:

disclosures are primarily designed to be used by an organisation at the point of recruitment for a particular position, whether as an employee or a volunteer;

conviction or other relevant information can be recorded against an individual at any point after a disclosure is issued; and

the disclosure process may also include a search to establish whether an individual is subject to a direction under Section 142 of the Education Act 2002, the Protection of Children Act and Protection of Vulnerable Adults (PoCA and PoVA) lists.

Legislation governing these lists, as set by the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department of Health, requires fresh checks of the lists for certain positions involving work with children and vulnerable adults, regardless of any previous existing checks. This may limit the ability for recruiting organisations to accept previously issued disclosures.

It is ultimately for each recruiting organisation and not the CRB to decide whether a fresh disclosure should be applied for. The recruiting organisation, using a range of pre-recruitment checks, is best placed to assess whether disclosure is required for a specific position, bearing in mind their legal and other responsibilities. The overriding consideration must always be the safety of those whom the disclosure service is designed to protect.