Police Act 1997

[F1 113B Enhanced criminal record certificates U.K.

(1) The Secretary of State must issue an enhanced criminal record certificate to any individual who—

(a) makes an application F2 ..., and

(b) pays in the prescribed manner any prescribed fee.

(2) The application must—

(a) be countersigned by a registered person, and

(b) be accompanied by a statement by the registered person that the certificate is required [F3 for the purposes of an exempted question asked] for a prescribed purpose.

[F4 (2A) But an application for an enhanced criminal record certificate need not be countersigned by a registered person if—

(a) the application is transmitted to the Secretary of State electronically by a registered person who satisfies conditions determined by the Secretary of State, and

(b) it is transmitted in accordance with requirements determined by the Secretary of State.]

(3) An enhanced criminal record certificate is a certificate which—

(a) gives the prescribed details of every relevant matter relating to the applicant which is recorded in central records and any information provided in accordance with subsection (4), or

(b) states that there is no such matter or information.

(4) Before issuing an enhanced criminal record certificate the Secretary of State must request the chief officer of every relevant police force to provide any information which, in the chief officer's opinion—

(a) might be relevant for the purpose described in the statement under subsection (2), and

(b) ought to be included in the certificate.

(5) The Secretary of State must also request the chief officer of every relevant police force to provide any information which, in the chief officer's opinion—

(a) might be relevant for the purpose described in the statement under subsection (2),

(b) ought not to be included in the certificate, in the interests of the prevention or detection of crime, and

(c) can, without harming those interests, be disclosed to the registered person.

[F5 (5A) The Scottish Ministers must pay to such body as may be prescribed such fee as they think appropriate for information received from the chief officer of a body mentioned in subsection (10)(j) to (m) as a result of a request under subsection (4) or (5).]

(6) The Secretary of State must send to [F6 the registered person who countersigned] [F6 whoever acted as the registered person in relation to] the application—

(a) a copy of the enhanced criminal record certificate, and

(b) any information provided in accordance with subsection (5).

(7) The Secretary of State may treat an application under this section as an application under section 113A if in his opinion the certificate is not required for a purpose prescribed under subsection (2).

(8) If by virtue of subsection (7) the Secretary of State treats an application under this section as an application under section 113A, he must refund to the applicant the amount (if any) by which the fee paid in relation to the application under this section exceeds the fee payable in relation to an application under section 113A.

(9) In this section—

• “central records”, “exempted question”, and “relevant matter” have the same meaning as in section 113A;

• “relevant police force”, in relation to an application under this section, means a police force which is a relevant police force in relation to that application under regulations made by the Secretary of State.

(10) For the purposes of this section references to a police force include any of the following—

[F7 (a) the Royal Navy Police;]

(c) the Royal Military Police;

(d) the Royal Air Force Police;

(e) the Ministry of Defence Police;

(f) the National Criminal Intelligence Service;

(g) the National Crime Squad;

(h) the British Transport Police;

(i) the Civil Nuclear Constabulary;

(j) the States of Jersey Police Force;

(k) the salaried police force of the Island of Guernsey;

(l) the Isle of Man Constabulary;

(m) a body with functions in any country or territory outside the British Islands which correspond to those of a police force in any part of the United Kingdom,

and any reference to the chief officer of a police force includes the person responsible for the direction of a body mentioned in this subsection.

(11) For the purposes of this section each of the following must be treated as if it were a police force—

(a) the Commissioners for Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (and for this purpose a reference to the chief officer of a police force must be taken to be a reference to any one of the Commissioners);

(b) the Serious Organised Crime Agency (and for this purpose a reference to the chief officer of a police force must be taken to be a reference to the Director General of the Agency);

(c) such other department or body as is prescribed (and regulations may prescribe in relation to the department or body the person to whom a reference to the chief officer is to be taken to be).

[F8 (12) For the purposes of this Part a person acts as the registered person in relation to an application for an enhanced criminal record certificate if the person—

(a) countersigns the application, or

(b) transmits the application to the Secretary of State under subsection (2A).]

[F9 (13) This section is subject to regulations 5, 6 and 7 of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (Controlled Activity and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2010.]]

Textual Amendments

F1 Ss. 113A-113F inserted (1.4.2006 for S. except for the insertion of s. 113E, 6.4.2006 for E.W. for specified purposes, 25.9.2006 for E.W. for specified purposes, 12.11.2007 for E.W. for specified purposes, 29.2.2008 for E.W. for specified purposes, 1.4.2008 for N.I., 9.3.2015 for E.W. for specified purposes) by Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15), ss. 163(2), 178(4)(d)(8); S.S.I. 2006/166, art. 2(1)(c); S.I. 2006/378, art. 7(a); S.I. 2006/2182, art. 2; S.I. 2007/3064, art. 2; S.I. 2008/306, art. 2; S.I. 2008/697, art. 2(a); S.I. 2015/188, art. 2

F2 Words in s. 113B(1)(a) repealed (S.) (11.1.2008) by Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 (asp 14), ss. 79(1), 101(2) (with ss. 90, 99); S.S.I. 2007/564, art. 2, sch.; and words repealed (E.W.N.I.) (29.1.2010) by Policing and Crime Act 2009 (c. 26), ss. 97(2), 116(1), Sch. 8 Pt. 8; S.I. 2010/125, art. 2(n)(u)

F3 Words in s. 113B(2)(b) inserted (E.W.N.I.) (12.10.2009 for E.W., 12.10.2009 for N.I.) by Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (c. 47), s. 65, Sch. 9 para. 14(3) (with ss. 51, 57(3), 60(4), 64(5)); S.I. 2009/2610, art. 2(a) (with arts. 4-23); S.I. 2009/2611, art. 2, Sch.

F4 S. 113B(2A) inserted (E.W.) (2.3.2009) by The Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records) (Electronic Communications) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/203), arts. 1(1), 4(2)

F5 S. 113B(5A) inserted (S.) (11.1.2008) by Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 (asp 14), ss. 80, 101(2) (with ss. 90, 99); S.S.I. 2007/564, art. 2, sch.

F6 Words in s. 113B(6) substituted (E.W.) (2.3.2009) by The Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records) (Electronic Communications) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/203), arts. 1(1), 4(3)

F7 S. 113B(10)(a) substituted for s. 113(10)(a)(b) (4.6.2007) by Armed Forces Act 2006 (c. 52), s. 383(2), Sch. 16 para. 149; S.I. 2007/1442, art. 2(1)

F8 S. 113B(12) inserted (E.W.) (2.3.2009) by The Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records) (Electronic Communications) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/203), arts. 1(1), 4(4)

F9 S. 113B(13) inserted (E.W.) (31.3.2010) by The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (Controlled Activity and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/1146), regs. 1, 8

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 113B modified (E.W.) (31.3.2010) by The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (Controlled Activity and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/1146), regs. 1, 5-7

C2 S. 113B(1)(a) modified (E.W.) (2.3.2009) by The Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records) (Electronic Communications) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/203), arts. 1(1), 21(1)

Commencement Information

I1 S. 113B in force at 1.4.2008 for N.I. by S.I. 2008/692, art. 2(c)