ORGANISATIONS which recruit volunteers are angry about a proposed £10 charge by the government to check that they have no criminal record.

The fee is to be charged from next year by the new Criminal Records Bureau, set up by the government to try to guard against further scandals like the Wrexham children's homes case.

Organisations which use volunteers to help in their activities with children would like to be able to use the CRB's services, but they say the £10 'stealth tax' would be crippling.

Tony Johnson, West Devon District Commissioner of the Scouts, has written to John Burnett, the West Devon and Torridge MP, asking him to oppose the introduction of the charge. He has agreed to meet them in the new year to discuss the issue.

So far the protesters have found Home Secretary Jack Straw intransigent, said Mr Johnson — 'even though Mr Straw was a Scout himself.

'We agree wholeheartedly with the principle of checks, but the cost is prohibitive,' said Mr Johnson. 'Last year, West Devon Scouts took on 62 people, which would mean a charge of £620, and our annual income was only £660.'

If the cost were passed on to young members, the poorer ones would be forced to drop out, while a cut in the number of volunteers would be bound to damage the association.

The argument for using the CRB rests mainly on having a defence if a volunteer should commit a crime, he said. 'In the history of scouting we have had only the occasional case of taking on a volunteer who had a criminal past. In any case, there is always the fear of the first offender.'

Many other organisations which rely on voluntary workers could be similarly affected, including the Guides, the St John Ambulance, the British Red Cross, charities, youth clubs and sports clubs.

Jenny Freeth, executive administrator for the Guides, said they had written to many MPs seeking help in getting the charges dropped or reduced, but had been told there was nothing that could be done.

'We will continue to press our case, but we will have to use the CRB service anyway,' she said. 'The cost would have a serious effect on our finances and we are still looking at how we could pay it.'

St John Ambulance said that for the past two years they had been asking new applicants to get a check done through the police for £10, which was refunded if they joined. 'It seemed a lot at first, but it just had to be done,' said a spokeswoman. St John Ambulance will switch to using the CRB next year.

The Red Cross said they would pay the CRB, but would join a national group of charities trying to get the fees removed or reduced.

The Home Office said it was essential that voluntary organisations take the necessary steps to make sure their volunteers did not pose a risk to those they worked with.

But it was essential the Criminal Records Bureau was self-financing through the fees it charged for certificates. There was no plan to re-consider the need to charge the voluntary organisations.