English and Welsh disclosures data: FOI release

Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.


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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Contact

Please quote the FOI reference

Central Enquiry Unit
Email: ceu@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000

The Scottish Government
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