Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department's target waiting time is for a Disclosure and Barring Service local intelligence check to be completed by the police.

In 2015/16, the Disclosure and Barring Service processed 87% of all applications within 21 days, against a target of 85%.

Some of the over four million applications received each year need to be referred to one or more police forces for further checks. There is a service level agreement between the Disclosure and Barring Service and police forces in relation to the time taken to complete these local disclosure checks.

These standards are: -

85% of police checks must be completed in 14 days;

90% of police checks must be completed in 18 days;

95% of police checks must be completed in 25 days; and - 100% of police checks must be completed in 60 days.