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| Commons clash over foreign crimes | 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. | 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". | 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. | 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 PNC. | |
| After coming under fire from Mr Cameron, Mr Blair told MPs that, where there was sufficient detail, all the most serious offenders had now been put 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 href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=5211&edition=1" class="">Send us your comments | |
| 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." |