Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 - accredited body fees and discounting proposals: draft island communities impact assessment

1. Introduction

Disclosure Scotland charges fees for some of its functions, including disclosure certificates. There is also a longstanding fee waiver in relation to PVG disclosures for qualifying voluntary organisations (QVOs). Fees were set in 2011 (basic, standard and enhanced were set at £25, PVG Scheme at £59 for a full scheme record and £18 for a short scheme record). This increase was to cover changing operational costs.

2011 to present is the longest period disclosure fees in Scotland have remained frozen.

The Disclosure (Scotland) Bill was introduced into Parliament in June 2019. The Bill became an Act on 14 July 2020. During the consultation on Protection of Vulnerable Groups and disclosure of criminal information in 2018, an initial consultation into revised fee structures was undertaken. Scottish Ministers committed to a further review and consultation specifically on fees as part of the Implementation Programme for delivering the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 (“the Disclosure Act”).