Kelly announces review of sex offenders

Education secretary Ruth Kelly has announced a review of all cases of sex offenders who have not been banned from working in schools.

She said that there were a “small number of cases” where people on the sex offenders register had not been placed on List 99 – the list of people banned from working in schools.

Kelly, who made the comments in a written ministerial statement, said that she would also review the decision-making process around such cases and any policy implications.

The decision to bar somebody from working with children rests with the education secretary but children’s charity the NSPCC argues that it should lie with child protection experts.

The announcement comes days after Kelly was heavily criticised for approving the appointment of a man placed on the sex offenders register as a PE teacher.

The teacher was placed on the register for visiting child pornography websites, although his case did not go to court.