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THE WEEKLY WORLD EDITION OF The DailyTelegraph AND The SundayTelegraph

December 16 - 22 2009 No. 960

telegraph.co.uk/expat

TheTelegraph

£7BNINNEWTAXES TheChancellorgiveshispre-Budgetreport

:: NEWS P6-7, BUSINESS P33

And the X Factor winner is … Joe

KEN MCKAY / REX FEATURES

Best of British Vote now in our fantastic expat competition :: DETAILS P9

By Patrick Hennessy, Political Editor, and Patrick Sawer THE Government scheme to vet up to 11million adults who work with children or vulnerable people is to be watered down following a public outcry.

Ed Balls, the Schools Secretary, announced the climb-down after an independent review of the Vetting and Barring Scheme, derided as “the Big Brother charter”.

The original rules provoked anger among parents and voluntary organisations after it emerged that adults who gave other children lifts to clubs and sports events might have to undergo criminal records checks and register with the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA).

Others who faced being affected by the legislation included authors who visited schools to talk about their work, teenagers on Duke of Edinburgh award schemes and parents who were hosts to foreign language students.

The main thrust of the scheme will continue. However, a review by Sir Roger Singleton, chairman of the ISA, recommends a series of exemptions from the rules.

All his recommendations have been accepted by Mr Balls. A source close to the Schools Secretary said: “It will now be a much more commonsense regime.”

Under the new scheme, the definitions for whether an adult must register have been loosened. Any activity that brings an adult into contact with children for four or more days a month, or involves any overnight contact, will be branded “intensive” rather than at least three days under the original plan.

Similarly the test for “frequency” will now mean an activity taking place at least once every week. Previously, the category included adults in contact with children only once a month. Both “frequent” and “intensive” categories require registration.

The changes recommended by Sir Roger include: ŠIndividuals who go to more than one school – such as authors – will not be required to register unless their contact with the same children is frequent or intensive.

Continued on page 2

An estimated 20 million people tuned in to watch Joe McElderry, an 18-year-old student from Tyne and Wear, crowned winner of ‘The X Factor’ on Sunday night, in the closest final in the ITV show’s history. His triumph almost guarantees him a Christmas number one Report, page 3

I beat Button Ryan Giggs is named Sports Personality of the Year :: SPORT P43

Clashes in Copenhagen Violence erupts at the climate change summit :: NEWS P14

While shepherds watched the X Factor by night...