Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the range of waiting times is for the return of Disclosure and Barring Service documentation for applications in Dorset.

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) measures its performance against a set of Published Service Standards (PSS). Performance data applying to certificates dispatched to people whose applications were made from a Dorset postcode between 1 December 2014 and 30 November 2015 are contained in the table below. Current performance levels reflect a number of challenges for Dorset Police, including delivering an upgraded IT system. The DBS has agreed a recovery plan with Dorset Police. This will mean additional staff are recruited to enable it to improve its disclosure turnaround times.