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| Commons clash over foreign crimes | |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Tory leader David Cameron and Tony Blair have clashed in the Commons over reports the Home Office ignored files on serious offences by Britons abroad. | |
| Mr Cameron said if any of the criminals had worked with children the home secretary could not "run away". | |
| Police chiefs have said UK criminals may have been cleared to work with vulnerable people in the UK. | Police chiefs have said UK criminals may have been cleared to work with vulnerable people in the UK. |
| Earlier, Home Office minister Joan Ryan said details of the offences were still being registered by police. | Earlier, Home Office minister Joan Ryan said details of the offences were still being registered by police. |
| She also told BBC News "some answers" were expected on Wednesday as to whether dangerous offenders were working with children. | She also told BBC News "some answers" were expected on Wednesday as to whether dangerous offenders were working with children. |
| Meanwhile, the home secretary is due to announce an inquiry by a senior civil servant from outside the Home Office in a Commons statement. | |
| Some 525 serious offenders may have applied for jobs back in the UK, it is reported. | Some 525 serious offenders may have applied for jobs back in the UK, it is reported. |
| On Tuesday the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) said details of 27,529 cases, including 25 Britons convicted of rape, were left in files at the Home Office. | On Tuesday the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) said details of 27,529 cases, including 25 Britons convicted of rape, were left in files at the Home Office. |
| The association said they should have been entered on the Police National Computer (PNC). | The association said they should have been entered on the Police National Computer (PNC). |
| 'Working through' | 'Working through' |
| Ms Ryan said police chiefs were "working through" details of the most serious cases. | Ms Ryan said police chiefs were "working through" details of the most serious cases. |
| "Acpo [the Association of Chief Police Officers] are saying they are registering the details of the most serious criminals of the 500 most serious cases," she said. | "Acpo [the Association of Chief Police Officers] are saying they are registering the details of the most serious criminals of the 500 most serious cases," she said. |
| The home secretary and the current ministers were not told about this issue of the backlog Joan Ryan,Home Office minister | The home secretary and the current ministers were not told about this issue of the backlog Joan Ryan,Home Office minister |
| She also stressed that the current Home Office ministers were not told files sent from overseas were not registered. | She also stressed that the current Home Office ministers were not told files sent from overseas were not registered. |
| Ms Ryan's comments come after the Home Office had previously said a full inquiry had begun. | Ms Ryan's comments come after the Home Office had previously said a full inquiry had begun. |
| Mr Reid said on Tuesday night: "This is a very serious problem and I take it very seriously indeed." | Mr Reid said on Tuesday night: "This is a very serious problem and I take it very seriously indeed." |
| Mr Reid has been meeting with the police and the Criminal Records Bureau on Wednesday morning. | Mr Reid has been meeting with the police and the Criminal Records Bureau on Wednesday morning. |
| Speaking before the meeting he said its aim was to "establish the facts and satisfy myself that everything has been done to protect the public". | Speaking before the meeting he said its aim was to "establish the facts and satisfy myself that everything has been done to protect the public". |
| 'Totally unacceptable' | 'Totally unacceptable' |
| Responsibility for updating the records was transferred from the Home Office to Acpo last year. | Responsibility for updating the records was transferred from the Home Office to Acpo last year. |
| The cases involved included: | The cases involved included: |
| Acpo spokesman Paul Kernaghan told the Commons all-party home affairs select committee that the position was "totally unacceptable" in terms of protecting the public. | Acpo spokesman Paul Kernaghan told the Commons all-party home affairs select committee that the position was "totally unacceptable" in terms of protecting the public. |
| Mr Kernaghan, who is Hampshire's chief constable, said: "Until the Acpo criminal records office was created, someone could go to Germany, commit a sexual offence and serve a sentence - and this would not be known to any police officer when they came back to the UK." | Mr Kernaghan, who is Hampshire's chief constable, said: "Until the Acpo criminal records office was created, someone could go to Germany, commit a sexual offence and serve a sentence - and this would not be known to any police officer when they came back to the UK." |
| He added: "The information was sitting in desk files and not entered on the PNC. | He added: "The information was sitting in desk files and not entered on the PNC. |
| "That is now being addressed and they are working their way through putting serious offenders on a risk-assessed basis on the PNC." | "That is now being addressed and they are working their way through putting serious offenders on a risk-assessed basis on the PNC." |