Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of exempting key workers from fees for DBS checks.

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is a non-departmental public body, established in 2012 under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. Current legislation dictates that DBS must charge a fee for Disclosure applications in all cases, with the exception of applications made by volunteers. The DBS is required to operate on a full cost-recovery basis and is dependent on applications for certificates. The fees for applications for certificates are prescribed under the Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records) Regulations 2002. There are currently no plans to exempt key workers from fees for DBS checks.

Current fees for DBS applications were reduced through secondary legislation in April 2022 to their lowest ever levels, benefitting all applicants, including key workers. Fees are reviewed on an annual basis.