English and Welsh disclosures data: FOI release

FOI reference: FOI/18/00682
Date received: 6 March 2018
Date responded: 5 April 2018

Information requested

The volumes of applications in last 3 financial years (14/15, 15/16 and 16/17) in relation to basic, standard and enhanced checks for applicants in England & Wales, broken down by gender and into the following categories:

1. The total number of checks per year.

2. The number of checks that included a caution and/or conviction.

3. The number of checks that included a caution and/or conviction where the caution/conviction was given to the individual when they were aged (range of 10 to 25 years of age by individual year).

4. The number of checks that were carried out where the applicant was the following age at the time of the check (range of 10 to 25 years of age by individual year).

5. The number of checks that included a caution and/or conviction where the applicant was the following age at the time of the check (range of 10 to 25 years of age by individual year).

As noted in our previous correspondence with you on the 13 March 2018, Disclosure Scotland does not process English and Welsh standard or enhanced disclosures, data for these should be obtained from the Disclosure and Barring Service. The individual age breakdown requested was also not possible as some of the gender/age groupings would result in very low figures.

In response you amended the age ranges to the following groups for basic disclosures:

a. Under 18

b. 18 to 21 (includes anyone aged 18 and over and less than 22)

c. 22 to 25 (includes anyone aged 22 and over and less than 26).

Response

I have detailed below most of the information you requested in the format you asked for.

1. The total number of checks per year.

English and Welsh basic volumes by age and gender 2014-15 to 2016-17.

Fiscal Year	Age Group	Female	Male	Total
2014-15	a. Under 18	6,250	9,200	15,450
	b. 18 to 21	53,330	73,440	126,770
	c. 22 to 25	68,630	103,110	171,740
	d. 26 and over	245,620	507,890	753,510
	Total	373,830	693,640	1,067,470
2015-16	a. Under 18	5,200	8,510	13,700
	b. 18 to 21	56,950	81,070	138,020
	c. 22 to 25	76,410	116,270	192,680
	d. 26 and over	271,460	560,900	832,370
	Total	410,010	766,750	1,176,770
2016-17	a. Under 18	6,080	12,620	18,690
	b. 18 to 21	64,820	101,390	166,210
	c. 22 to 25	84,860	136,030	220,890
	d. 26 and over	312,880	663,570	976,450
	Total	468,640	913,610	1,382,250

Notes:

1. – Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not equal sum of parts due to rounding.

2. – Excludes applications which contained invalid postcode information.

2. The number of checks that included a caution and/or conviction.

Data for cautions is not available as this information is inconsistently supplied by the various UK police forces. Also note that most cautions are deemed to have been rehabilitated three months after they were given and are therefore excluded from basic disclosures in the vast majority of instances.

Please see response at question 3 for the final answer to this question regarding convictions.

3. The number of checks that included a caution and/or conviction where the caution/conviction was given to the individual when they were aged:

a. Under 18

b. 18 to 21

c. 22 to 25

English and Welsh basic checks that disclosed unspent convictions by age-group (at age of conviction) and gender 2014-15 to 2016-17.

Fiscal Year	Age Group	Female	Male	Total
2014-15	Under 18	50	1,020	1,060
	18 to 21	430	4,450	4,880
	22 to 25	440	3,670	4,110
	26 and over	1,230	9,090	10,310
	Total	2,140	18,230	20,370
2015-16	Under 18	50	1,250	1,300
	18 to 21	510	4,700	5,220
	22 to 25	430	4,140	4,570
	26 and over	1,330	10,080	11,410
	Total	2,320	20,170	22,490
2016-17	Under 18	70	1,610	1,680
	18 to 21	480	5,640	6,120
	22 to 25	460	4,660	5,120
	26 and over	1,440	11,650	13,090
	Total	2,440	23,560	26,000

Notes:

1. – Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not equal sum of parts due to rounding.

2. – Excludes applications which contained invalid postcode information.

3. – Data for cautions are not included as these are not consistently supplied by the police forces across the UK.

4. The number of checks that were carried out where the applicant was the following age at the time of the check

a. Under 18

b. 18 to 21

c. 22 to 25

Response provided in the table for question 1.

5. The number of checks that included a caution and/or conviction where the applicant was the following age at the time of the check.

a. Under 18

b. 18 to 21

c. 22 to 25

English and Welsh basic checks that disclosed unspent convictions by age-group (at age of application) and gender 2014-15 to 2016-17.

Fiscal Year	Age Group	Female	Male	Total
2014-15	Under 18	..	40	40
	18 to 21	200	1,570	1,770
	22 to 25	440	4,010	4,450
	26 and over	1,490	12,610	14,100
	Total	2,140	18,230	20,370
2015-16	Under 18	10	50	60
	18 to 21	240	1,720	1,960
	22 to 25	470	4,290	4,760
	26 and over	1,600	14,120	15,710
	Total	2,320	20,170	22,490
2016-17	Under 18	10	100	110
	18 to 21	240	2,260	2,500
	22 to 25	470	4,810	5,280
	26 and over	1,730	16,390	18,110
	Total	2,440	23,560	26,000

Notes: .. represents data is less than 5

1. – Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not equal sum of parts due to rounding.

2. – Excludes applications which contained invalid postcode information.

3. – Data for cautions are not included as these are not consistently supplied by the police forces across the UK.

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