News story

29^TH December 2000

MP OPPOSES CHARGES FOR VOLUNTEERS

Northavon MP Steve Webb has given his backing to local Scouts and Guides groups who have protested at Government plans to charge ten pounds for every volunteer helper to have checks made on their criminal record.   The MP, who has been contacted by Scouts, Guides, Brownies and Cubs groups from across South Gloucestershire, has backed a House of Commons motion calling on the Government to scrap the charges which will hit all voluntary organisations working with children.   Under new Government plans voluntary organisations will be charged between £10 and £20 for checking with the Criminal Records Bureau that their volunteers do not have a criminal record and are not a danger to the children or vulnerable young people they will work with.

Pressure from the Liberal Democrats in Scotland has led to the Scottish Parliament scrapping the charges north of the Border, and now the party is putting pressure on the Westminster Parliament to do the same.

Steve Webb said:

“Although ten pounds may not sound much, if you think how many volunteers are involved in the Guiding and Scouting movement, it soon adds up to a serious sum which the movement can ill-afford.    At a time when so many organisations are struggling to find enough volunteers to keep going, it does seem unfair to charge them for carrying out checks which the law says have to be made.   Scrapping the charges would not make any real difference to the Government’s finances but would make a real difference to voluntary organisations.   It is time the Government thought again.”