By Dan Ilett, 13 January 2006 12:35
NEWS
Education Secretary Ruth Kelly is set to push for new legislation that would align a number of databases so as to prevent sex offenders working with children.
Kelly, who is reacting to pressure from MPs for allowing a teacher listed on the Sex Offender's Register to work in a school, said she wanted to urgently review how the education department aligns its database (known as List 99) of people banned from working in schools with other resources.
In a statement to parliament today, Kelly said: "I will review urgently the decision-making process surrounding such cases and the policy implications. In particular, how the closest possible alignment can be secured between List 99; the Sex Offenders Register and other data sources; [and] the role of ministers in the decision-making process."
List 99 is a database of people barred for life from working in schools. If a teacher is found guilty of committing certain crimes, they are automatically entered on the list. Kelly said the majority of sex offenders were therefore automatically barred from working in schools.
But a number of sex offenders have slipped through the net. Kelly has admitted that some have been left out of List 99 - even though they are on the Home Office's Sex Offender's Register - and have been allowed to work in schools.
Kelly was unable to answer a question from conservative shadow education secretary, David Willetts, on how many sex offenders were working in schools.
She said: "I agree that the existence of so many independent data sources and lists is not satisfactory."
Kelly added the review of legislation surrounding the databases would "take place with the greatest possible speed".
Comments
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1. anonymous
We have an interesting juxtapoistion here. Chief Constable David Westwood was forced into suspension then to retire early by David Blunket the then home secretary, because the Humberside police force failed to retain records of allegations about Ian Huntley the Soham murderer through misinturpreation of the data protection act.
Yet the Prime Minister is backing Ruth Kelly to the hilt when her department is providing documents stating that persons with criminal records (not allegations but actual records of offences) for aberrant sexual behaviour are safe to work in schools.
2. Richard
Don't databases give total protection?
This government "solves" every threat or problem by announcing a new database.
It's very worrying that databases don't actually provide us with total protection (or justice!):
Does this mean that the anti bird flu database won't stop the virus at our borders?