Recommendation R30: Overseas applicant checking
From The Bichard Inquiry Report, published 22 June 2004.
Recommendation
Proposals should be brought forward as soon as possible to improve the checking of people from overseas who want to work with children and vulnerable adults.
In brief (written by this site)
In May 2007, the Home Office reported that work on the recommendation was in progress, noting that greater impetus was being given to "improve the effective exchange of criminal record information within Europe and more widely" (Home Office, May 2007). The department had previously stated in December 2004 that the Criminal Records Bureau had undertaken an overseas survey and visits to Australia to build links to access Australian data (Home Office response, Dec 2004).
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 26 Sep 2026. The record below is the sources' own words.
Government response
The CRB undertook a comprehensive overseas survey in 2002, which was followed by a visit last year to Australia by the Deputy Chief Executive. This identified Australia as not only a high priority, in terms of numbers employed in relevant sectors, but also as a country very willing to engage with the CRB. The Chief Executive, the Deputy Chief Executive and support staff have made a further visit to Australia in summer 2004, to cement top-level relationships and provide a firm foundation for building links to access Australian data.
Blanket government agreement does not establish acceptance or delivery by each addressee. Some response passages cover groups of recommendations.
Scope of the government response
The Government accepted all 31 recommendations collectively: the Home Secretary's written statement of 11 January 2005 records that "All 31 recommendations were accepted by the Government when the Inquiry reported in June 2004". No document states an acceptance decision for any single recommendation. The response shown against each recommendation is the Home Office's answer to it in the first progress report, sent to Sir Michael Bichard on 22 December 2004 and placed in the Library of the House on 11 January 2005. The Government then reported against the recommendations three more times, in November 2005, May 2006 and May 2007; the updates shown are taken from those reports.
Delivery
Home Office says in progress (22 May 2007)
Much greater impetus is being given to work to improve the effective exchange of criminal record information within Europe and more widely.
From: Bichard Inquiry Recommendations: Fourth Progress Report
Responsible bodies
Themes and tags
Who has spoken
- Home Office
Response, delivery statement