2.15 The adequacy of Disclosures is dependent on the accuracy and currency of data on the Police National Computer. The Bureau has researched the accuracy of data on the Police National Computer, by comparing a sample of records of court proceedings with data on the system. The analysis showed that in 94 per cent of the cases, the results had been recorded accurately on the Police National Computer. (In the case of results from the Crown Court, where more serious cases are heard, the figure was higher at 96 per cent). In most of the remaining cases, the discrepancy was small (for example, a spelling error in the name or address). Only in a very small proportion of cases - around 1 per cent representing around 0.05 per cent of all applications - was an error or omission considered to be significant. None of these cases related to a serious offence of violence or a sexual offence18. In the most sensitive cases handled by the Bureau, which would be subject to an Enhanced Disclosure, an error or omission might well be brought to light through local police force enquiries. In the event, the accuracy of police data has proved to be adequate in practice, with very few disputes from applicants about criminal records included on the Disclosure. The Chief Constables of the 43 individual police forces in England and Wales decide on the locally-held information to be included in Enhanced Disclosures. Inconsistencies exist in respect of forces' practice in judging which soft intelligence is relevant and therefore discloseable.
2.16 The speed with which new conviction data is entered varies across the country. Overall performance is improving. This is borne out by the fact that recent statistics show that, in August 2003, 68.6 per cent of arrest and summons reports were entered into the Police National Computer within one day; and that in July 2003, 38 per cent of court results were entered within seven days. Both figures were the best recorded so far. The Association of Chief Police Officers considers that the updating of the system should be undertaken by the courts directly at the point at which the outcome of the case is known, thereby removing these delays.
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18 Research undertaken by the Criminal Records Bureau.