The Home Office is refusing to confirm or deny reports that it plans to outsource some of the work involved in processing applications for criminal records checks to a centre in India.
A range of short-term measures is being considered, which include using external suppliers either domestically or abroad to take on some of the administration involved in the processing. The Criminal Records Bureau has been plagued by a backlog of applications built up since March. Only 10,000 disclosures have been issued out of around 57,000 received.
A Home Office spokesperson claimed that performance is improving week on week, with around a fifth of disclosures now being issued within three weeks.
More than 140 MPs' signatures have been added to three early day motions that express concern that the cost of carrying out criminal record checks could be passed onto volunteers by umbrella registered bodies. One motion tabled by Conservative MP for Wealden, Charles Hendry, urges the government to ensure volunteering is "encouraged, not penalised".
The CRB has also been accused of breaching the spirit of the Welsh Language Act 1993 for not offering application forms in Welsh. Aled Edwards, churches liaison officer for the Welsh assembly, said that the CRB should provide equal provision in both English and Welsh, and has complained to the Welsh Language Board.
