Written questions

Councillors: Vetting

Commons · Question 5161 · Tabled 29 May 2026 · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government · Official record

Answered 8 Jun 2026

Question

Asked by Darren Paffey

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring newly elected councillors to undergo Disclosure and Barring Service checks after taking office.

Answer

Answered by Alison McGovern, 8 Jun 2026

We keep local government member criminal record check policy under review. All local government members are eligible for Basic criminal records checks provided by the Disclosure and Barring Service. Members in unitary and upper tier authorities who are be...