Overview

The Volunteering Bill aims to promote volunteering in England and Wales by introducing a "fit and proper person certificate" for volunteers and amending the Police Act 1997 to clarify volunteer status.

Description

This bill introduces a "fit and proper person certificate" for volunteers. This certificate requires volunteers to declare their full name, date of birth, address, and National Insurance number, and confirm they haven't been convicted of any offences (excluding spent convictions). For those under 18, a parent or guardian must endorse the declaration. Possession of this certificate satisfies any background check requirements for volunteering. The bill also amends the Police Act 1997. It raises the age limit for certain individuals mentioned in section 112(1) to 21 and clarifies that section 113A applies only to paid work, removing the inclusion of unpaid work.

Government Spending

The bill doesn't directly specify government spending. The implementation costs are likely to be minimal, potentially involving some administrative processes for issuing and verifying the certificates. However, no specific figures are provided within the bill itself.

Groups Affected

This bill primarily affects:

• Volunteers in England and Wales: They will need to obtain the fit and proper person certificate to satisfy background check requirements for volunteering positions.
• Organizations using Volunteers in England and Wales: These organizations will need to adjust their recruitment processes to accommodate the new certificate requirement.
• Individuals aged 21 and under mentioned in section 112(1) of the Police Act 1997: The amendment to section 112(1) changes the applicability of the section with a change to the age limit from an unspecified age to 21 years old.
• Individuals involved in paid and unpaid work covered in section 113A of the Police Act 1997: The amendment to section 113A restricts its scope to only paid work, thereby removing its application to unpaid volunteer activities.

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