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R22

Identity checking responsibilities

Bichard Inquiry · The Bichard Inquiry Report · Issued 22 June 2004 · Addressed to: Home Office

Government responseHome Office: Accepted (Dec 2004)

DeliveryHome Office says completed (May 2006)

Recommendation, verbatim from the inquiry

●Inquiry recommendation

The Registered Bodies' precise responsibilities for checking identities need to be clarified urgently.

Bichard Inquiry, The Bichard Inquiry Report · 22 Jun 2004 Source PDF →

Published evidence summary

AI-generated evidence summary

The Home Office stated in May 2006 that the recommendation was implemented (Home Office, May 2006). The department had previously reported in December 2004 that five suppliers and 15 Registered Bodies had been selected to conduct online identity checks for disclosure applicants under an authentication pilot, while updated guidance outlining an identity checking process was in the final stages of review ahead of planned publication in February 2005 (Home Office response, Dec 2004).

Sources

Home Office, May 2006

AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 26 Sep 2026.

Report-level response context

The Government accepted all 31 recommendations collectively: the Home Secretary's written statement of 11 January 2005 records that "All 31 recommendations were accepted by the Government when the Inquiry reported in June 2004". No document states an acceptance decision for any single recommendation. The response shown against each recommendation is the Home Office's answer to it in the first progress report, sent to Sir Michael Bichard on 22 December 2004 and placed in the Library of the House on 11 January 2005. The Government then reported against the recommendations three more times, in November 2005, May 2006 and May 2007; the updates shown are taken from those reports.

Government response

●Home Office · Accepted · 22 Dec 2004

Words of: Home Office, Bichard Inquiry Recommendations: Progress Report, 22 December 2004

Five suppliers and 15 Registered Bodies have been selected by the CRB to participate in the identification authentication pilot. This will involve the Registered Body making online ID checks for disclosure applicants. 6.36 In addition, the new guidance to be issued to Registered Bodies will include an ‘ID checking process’. This is in the final stages of review and publication is scheduled for February 2005.

Response document: Bichard Inquiry Recommendations: Progress Report

Delivery

●Home Office says completed · 25 May 2006

Recommendations 22, 24, 26, 27, 28 and 29 are implemented.

From: Bichard Inquiry Recommendations: Third Progress Report

How this page is built

The recommendation and the government responses are verbatim from primary documents. Delivery statements and other bodies' findings are shown in their own words, each with its source. The summary is written by this site and labelled as such. The Index does not paraphrase sources or characterise intent; it records what has been published.