Information Disclosure Guide

IDG50600 - Information disclosure Gateways with other government departments: Criminal Records Bureau and Disclosure Scotland

The Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS), and its Scottish equivalent Disclosure Scotland (DS), are the government agencies which undertake checks on criminal records in order to help organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors by identifying candidates who may be unsuitable to work with children or other vulnerable members of society.

In England and Wales, the only information that can be disclosed to the DBS is for the purposes of an ‘enhanced criminal record certificate’ under S113B of the Police Act 1997.

In Scotland, the only information that can be disclosed to Disclosure Scotland is for the purposes of a ‘Level 2 Check’ under S14A Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020.