Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will consider introducing enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks as a condition of being a councillor.

Disclosure and Barring Service checks (‘DBS checks’) for local government members are currently optional; it is for individual local authorities to adopt eligible DBS checks as they feel necessary.

I am considering the benefits and disbenefits to potential changes in local government member DBS check policy.