Latest CRB fee increases will hit schools, care homes and charities hardest - Burstow

10.43.16am GMT Thu 4th Dec 2003

Commenting on the news that the Criminal Records Bureau fees have risen a further 18% since the fee increase announced in June and by 133% since the body started in 2002, Liberal Democrat Spokesman Paul Burstow MP said:

"Having made a balls up of the CRB, the Government is now forcing its customers to pay massive fee increases that will hit schools, care homes and charities hardest when they are already struggling with cash shortages.

"Even after today's fee increase, the CRB will still be losing £8 on every check it carries out because they underestimated the original costs of checks. I doubt this latest debacle of increased fees will be the last we hear of this crippled PFI project. It looks likely that customers and taxpayers will be forced to dig deep yet again before 2007.

"The present catastrophe is due to disastrous planning, bad decisions and hopeless implementation, all of which can be traced back to Ministers and Capita. Ministers accepted a system that was not up to the job. Despite its failings, Capita have been fined just £1.8 million for delivering a defective system, and have been paid an extra £8.4 million to put things right.

"The losers are vulnerable people who are owed the reassurance of CRB checks on care staff; customers who will have to pay through the nose for checks, and the taxpayer who is footing the bill for the CRB's huge losses."