Criminal records system delayed

A £400 million government service offering companies criminal checks on potential employees has been delayed because the computer system is still not ready, a Computing exclusive reveals.

The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) is being built by the Home Office to help employers and voluntary organisations identify serious offenders, like paedophiles.

It was due to be up and running this autumn, but will now not launch until 1 March next year because yet more tests are needed on the systems.

It's the second delay to the project, which was supposed to be ready earlier this summer.

A Home Office spokeswoman said: 'With a project of this nature and size there are always risks. In order to reduce them the CRB has decided to extend the implementation and testing phases.'

The CRB will draw on information from the Police National Computer, local police force records, and records held by the Department of Health and Department for Education and Skills.

It will replace the current paper-based system, cutting the time it takes to run a check from eight weeks to just three.

The systems are being developed and operated by Capita, which won the 10-year contract in August last year. A Capita spokesman said although the system will be live from the end of November, it has added two more phases of testing 'to err on the side of caution.'

'Bringing together a number of data sources is very complex and we are extremely keen to make sure that we get it right.

A Conservative spokesman said: 'This is simply the latest in a long line of government computer failures, many of which seem to fall within the remit of the Home Office. It is ironic that a government that lectures everyone else about modernisation seems unable to get its own house in order.'