The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) has become self-funding for the first time, it revealed today.
Despite recent criticism of the service, it provided its 10 millionth disclosure last year, and has frozen fees for 2007.
Home Office minister Joan Ryan said: “It has always been the aim of the Criminal Records Bureau to become self-funding, and I am delighted that it has been able to do this at the same time as handling increased demand and achieving record levels of customer satisfaction.”
The CRB provides checks on job applicants for positions working with children and vulnerable adults.
It was slammed by recruiters last month when it emerged that more than 27,000 paper files containing details of crimes committed by UK citizens abroad had failed to make it on to the Police National Computer since 2001.
And it faced a further setback when employee procurement giant Comensura labelled it “the least approachable organisation in the public sector”.
But CRB chief executive Vince Gaskell today insisted the bureau was continuing to meet milestones laid out in its five-year strategy from 2006.
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“Self-funding status is a key landmark for the organisation, and we will continue to build on the customer service improvements which help us achieve high customer satisfaction year on year,” he said.
It will continue to cost £31 for a standard CRB check in 2007/8. All other disclosure fees will remain the same as well.
