Background Fees for criminal record certificates
74.Since December 2012, the Disclosure and Barring Service has been responsible for issuing certificates to applicants containing details of their criminal records and other relevant information. This function was previously undertaken by the Criminal Records Bureau, which had for some years issued criminal record certificates to volunteers free of charge with the cost of these free certificates being cross-subsidised by fee-paying applicants. It is Government policy that criminal records checks, including the new update service provided by the Disclosure and Barring Service under measures in the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, should continue to be provided free of charge to volunteers.
75.Interim measures are in place to ensure current fees can lawfully reflect such costs under section 102 of the Finance (No 2) Act 1987.(34) Section 151 places these measures on a more transparent legislative basis.