DBS checks for councillors ‘should be mandatory’ says Wigan Council boss

There was “shock” among councillors as they learned enhanced DBS checks for members are not already enforced.
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Coun David Molyneux, leader of Wigan Council, said he “strongly believes” members should have background checks before they take a seat as a councillor.

Wigan Town Hall’s full council meeting heard the leader would ask the chief executive to write to the secretary of state for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to request they introduce mandatory enhanced DBS checks for local government and regional elected councillors.

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Wigan Council leader Coun David MolyneuxWigan Council leader Coun David Molyneux
Wigan Council leader Coun David Molyneux
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A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check can be used to check the criminal record of an individual.

“We get involved in schools, community groups, churches, and it is only right that when we ask for volunteers for activities like scouts to get a DBS check,” Coun Molyneux said.

“We are corporate parents and we make decisions in committees and in this chamber about how young people are treated.

“When we discussed this a few years back, there was objection to making it compulsory but now we are asking to write to the Government to insist that all elected members have a full DBS check. I think it is the right thing to do.”

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Coun James Watson, of the Independent Network, asked who would pay for this and when should the DBS be carried out.

He explained this could cause issues if the check took place once the councillor was elected and then had to be ousted.

Despite this, Coun Watson expressed his support and said this “should be a prerequisite for all public facing workers”.

Deputy leader Coun Keith Cunliffe said it should be a Government-led change and they should implement the system and the funding for DBS checks.

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“I have said many times that our employers are the public and they have a right to know whether they are a fit and proper person,” he said. “It is up to the Government to come up with a system to finance this.

“I would personally make it that all candidates have a public DBS check so people know who they’re voting for. I think every member of parliament should be subject to a DBS check.”

The motion proposed by Coun Molyneux was unanimously passed by the council.