Child Protection Screening

The Hon. J.A. DARLEY (15:11): My question is to the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation representing the Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion. Can the minister provide statistics with regard to applications to the Department of Communities and Social Inclusion for screening and background checks, namely, the number of checks which have been made in this calendar year since 1 January 2014, the number of these checks which have been completed in 20 business days or less, the number of these checks which have been completed in eight weeks or less and the number of these checks which have taken longer than eight weeks? Finally, can the minister advise what steps, if any, are being taken to improve the turnaround time for these applications and, if so, provide details?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (15:12): I thank the honourable member for his most important question to the Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion on statistics for applications for background checks. I undertake to take the question to the minister in the other place and seek a response on his behalf.