Taxi Driver Online

What information are you talking about, precisely, and where exactly is it being recorded twice?

As I said, basic info like my name (or make/model and registration number of my car) is recorded in several different places by the council, and at a very basic level I can't really see any problem with that.

And obviously no-one wants to see unnecessary paperwork and duplication (except perhaps those in the bureaucracy who benefit from unnecessary paperwork and duplication).

But as regards the very basics of record-keeping, I can't really see any particular issue with what the auditor is saying here.

As far as I can see the main question mark is over the legality of what the auditor is recommending (ie the retention of the original DBS records*) and, if that's not consistent with the law, whether that law is required in the first place.



*Although the article maybe suggests that the DBS records are now being retained, because the auditor says:



"At the time" maybe suggests that the documentation is now being retained, although by no means conclusive.

Convictions and cautions.

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IDFIMH

Assuming you're objecting to 'convictions and cautions' recorded on both the DBS document *and* in the council's own records, then if the council is supposed to dispose of the DBS document then how does the council know at some time in the future what convictions and cautions the driver has received?

I suppose there's an argument for saying that if a council does retain the original DBS record then there's no need to also record it on the council's own documentation, but in the grand scheme of things that doesn't strike me as the worst example of local authority duplication and waste.

We go back to what I suggested earlier in the thread, the DBS should be used to confirm, or otherwise, the information the applicant has written on the license application form. Once confirmed, or otherwise, there is no need to keep a copy.

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IDFIMH

Yes, good point as regards the driver's honesty, perhaps, but not so sure from the point of accurate record keeping.

I mean, even if a driver is entirely honest, I doubt if convictions and cautions as recorded on his application form would be in a manner that's suitable as an official record.

As a comparison, imagine a driver declared a long list of complex medical conditions. This is cross-checked with his medical records, and found to be consistent.

But would his application form then amount to a proper record of his medical history as compared to that provided by healthcare professionals, GPs, consultants etc?

No way, I think the answer would be, and similarly an applicant is unlikely to provide a record of his criminal history on his application form that's an adequate record for official purposes.