Publication scheme guidance

We comply with the government-wide publication scheme, which suggests that certain types of publications should be made available to the public, by making them available on our websites. This guidance explains the type of information that we have released and where to find it.

Archived content

Home Office websites were recently copied and archived on the National Archives website, if you are looking for information from before 7 May 2010, you may find it on the National Archives versions of our websites. Read more information about our archived websites.

Type of information

We publish information published as outlined in the Information Commissioner's Office guidance.

Use the links to find information on the following categories:

1. About our organisation
2. What we spend and how we spend it
3. What are our priorities and how are we doing?
4. How we make decisions
5. Our policies and procedures
6. Lists and registers
7. The services we offer


1. About our organisation

1.1 Roles and responsibilities
Find out about the roles and responsibilities of the department and its agencies and public bodies, including the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB), Identity and Passport Service (IPS) and National Fraud Authority (NFA).

1.2 Organisational structure
View information on the organisational structure of the Home Office and its agencies.
Information about the organisational structure of the NFA, the CRB and IPS.

1.3 Information about legislation relevant to the department’s functions. 
Information about Home Office legislation.
Information about the legal basis for the establishment of the CRB.

1.4 Lists of, and information about organisations the Home Office is responsible for, those it works in partnership with and those it sponsors
The Home Office includes agencies, non-departmental public bodies and inspectorates.
List of organisations involved in the CRB service. You  can also view the organisations that work with the National Fraud Authority.

1.5 Department ministers, permanent secretaries, chief executives, management board members and senior executives
Ministers’ biographies are available on the website.
The CRB annual report contains details of the management board and responsible Home Office minister.
Information about the NFA executives, non-executive directors and the fraud programme board.

1.6 Locations of, and contact details for, the Home Office.
A contact us form is available on the website.


2. What we spend and how we spend it

2.1 Financial statements, budgets and variance reports
Details available in the 2009-10 resource accounts document. You can also view information on the spending review.
Details relating to spending that is more than £25,000 is also available on the Home Office website.
The NFA routinely publishes information about NFA spending, priorities, plans and achievements.

2.2 Capital programme
Details available in the 2009-10 resource accounts document.

2.3 Spending reviews
Details available in the 2009-10 resource accounts document.

2.4 Financial audit reports
This information has not yet been released. Please visit the archived Home Office website on the National Archives website for information published under the previous administration.
The NFA's annual report contains information about the financial activities of the previous year.

2.5 Staff and board members’ allowances and expenses
Details of business expenses and hospitality for senior officials, ministers and special advisers are available.
Details of CRB business expenses and hospitality for senior officials are also available.

2.6 Ministerial expenditure
Information about ministerial expenditure is available.

2.7 Pay and grading structures
Information about staff salary details and the structure of the Home Office, its agencies and executive non-departmental public bodies.

2.8 Procurement procedures
Summarised details of procurement process and guidance for suppliers available on Home Office website.
Small and medium-sized enterprises - Home Office actions outlines the steps which the Home Office plans to take to meet the government commitment to allow small businesses and voluntary organisations to compete more fairly for government contracts.
Supplier recognition conference. As part of the supplier relationship management strategy, the Home Office held a supplier recognition conference on 21 July 2011 to recognise suppliers who have delivered innovative and money saving solutions in support of our delivery.

2.9 List of contracts awarded and their value
For details of published contracts and tender documents over £10,000 please visit the contracts finder portal

2.10 Financial statements for projects and events
Financial information specific to the CRB, including financial spend for projects, is contained within the CRB annual report.

2.11 Internal financial regulations
Details available in the 2009-10 resource accounts document.

2.12 Exceptions to spending controls
Details of exceptions to the government’s moratorium on third-party spend are available on the Home Office website.

2.13 Transparency spend over £25,000
The following data sets contain details of Home Office, Agency and NDP spending over £25,000


3. What are our priorities and how are we doing?

3.1 Strategic plans
Strategic plans are currently contained within the structural reform plan, available in the business plan. The structural reform priorities are:

  1. Empower the public to hold the police to account for their role in cutting crime - introduce directly elected police and crime commissioners and make police actions to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour more transparent
  2. Free up the police to fight crime more effectively and efficiently - cut police bureaucracy, end unnecessary central interference and overhaul police powers in order to cut crime, reduce costs and improve police value for money. Simplify national institutional structures and establish a National Crime Agency to strengthen the fight against organised crime
  3. Create a more integrated criminal justice system - help the police and other public services work together across the criminal justice system
  4. Secure our borders and reduce immigration - control net migration to sustainable levels, in the tens of thousands a year. Limit non-EU economic migrants, and introduce new measures to reduce inflow and minimise abuse of all migration routes, for example the student route. Process asylum applications more quickly, and end the detention of children for immigration purposes
  5. Protect people’s freedoms and civil liberties - reverse state interference to ensure there is not disproportionate intrusion into people’s lives.

Our diversity strategy 2010-13, launched in June 2010, sets out the Home Office's ambitions on equality and diversity, both in relation to staff and in delvering services to the public.

The National Fraud Strategy describes how the private, public and voluntary sectors need to actively work together to create a hostil environment for fraudsters.

3.2 Business plan
The 2011-2015 business plan is now available on the Home Office website.
The CRB business plan 2011-12 sets out the CRB's strategy for the next three years.
The NFA business plan is published annually.
The IPS business plan 2011-12 is also available.

3.3 Annual report
The CRB annual report and accounts contains management commentary on the current and future position of the CRB and the financial accounts for the year 2010-11. It also covers information for points 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4.
The IPS annual report 2010-11 outlines how IPS delivered against financial targets on its three core functions during the financial year 2010-11: passports, the National Identity Service and provision of vital event certificates and the other services of the General Register Office.
The NFA annual report contains information about the financial activities of the previous year.
The Technical Advisory Board annual report is also available.

3.4 Internal and external organisation performance reviews
Controlled archive - details of asylum applications received before March 2007 which UKBA were unable to complete processing when they lost contact with the applicant. Since the establishment of the case audit and assurance unit progress has been made in contacting some of these applicants and their applications are under active consideration.
Key data on family return process - 2011 and pilot data. Contains information on the family cases that have been put through the new family returns process.
The Home Office capability action plan is an assessment of leadership, strategy and delivery. This report has been developed through extensive desk and field based evidence-gathering work rigorous challenge provided by non-executive directors.
Information on Home Office energy use.

3.5 Performance reports to Parliament
This information has not yet been released. Please visit the archived Home Office website on the National Archives website for information published under the previous administration.

3.6 Inspection reports
Business areas that produce Inspection Reports include HMIC and the chief inspector of the UK Border Agency.

3.7 Impact assessments
The following assessments are available on the Home Office website:

Further impact assessments are contained within individual Home Office consultations.

3.8 Service Standards
The CRB provides a checking service which allows employers to access the conviction histories of people working, or seeking to work in certain positions, especially those that involve working with children or vulnerable adults. The CRB's checking service is measured against published service standards.
IPS service and standards, also available in Welsh. If you are not satisfied with the service provided you can visit IPS complaints.

3.9 Statistics produced in accordance with departmental requirements
Research and statistics on Home Office responsibilities such as crime, counter-terrorism, the justice system and immigration are available on the research development and statistics website.
The GEO publishes research into equality issues. View the equalities research page for recent reports.

3.10 Public service agreements
This information has not yet been released. Please visit the archived Home Office website on the National Archives website for information published under the previous administration.


4. How we make decisions

4.1 Major policy proposals and decisions

Information about other proposals and decisions are available in ministerial speeches.

4.2 Background information for major policy proposals and decisions

4.3 Public consultations
Published in on the Home Office website - consultations.

4.4 Minutes of senior level meetings: Home Office Board meetings. 
Summary minutes of the Home Office board meetings are available. 

4.5 Reports and papers provided for consideration at senior-level meetings
The Home Office website contains a number of corporate publications.

4.6 Internal communications guidance, criteria used for decision-making, internal instructions, manuals and guidelines.
Home Office circulars provide guidance on policies and procedures are available on the Home Office website going back to 2003. Details on pay for senior Home Office management is in the 2009-10 resource accounts document.
The relationship between the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the GEO is set out in a framework document.
The IPS framework agreement sets out how the IPS will work with the Home Office.


5. Our policies and procedures

5.1 Policies and procedures for conducting departmental business
The Home Office website provides a range of corporate information and data published as part of the transparency initiative.
Diversity strategy 2010-2013 sets out the department's ambitions for equality and diversity, both in relation to staff and in delivering services to the public.
Information about recruitment and working for the Home Office.
Policies and guidance staff follow regarding the issuing of passports.

5.2 Customer service
The Home Office accessibility policy is available, as is a procedure for handling complaints.

5.3 Records management and personal data policies
The Home Office has published an information charter in relation to its handling of personal data. We have also published an information management policy.

5.4 Charging regimes and policies


6. Lists and registers

6.1 Public registers and registers held as public records
Lists of non-personal data are published on the Home Office website.

6.2 Asset registers and information asset register
The Home Office information asset register is a list of personal and non personal information assets held by the Home Office. The register is reviewed on a regular basis and updates will be published to reflect changes.

6.3 Disclosure log
Information released under the Freedom of Information Act is available in the disclosure log on the Home Office website.

6.4 Register of gifts and hospitality provided to Ministers and senior personnel
View details of ministers' and special advisors' hospitality, gifts, travel and meetings. Senior officials' business expenses and hospitality are also available.

6.5 Any register of interests kept by the department
This information has not yet been released. Please visit the archived Home Office website on the National Archives website for information published under the previous administration.

6.6 Other lists required by law
The Home Office does not hold any list required by law.


7. The services we offer

Home Office

Criminal Records Bureau

Identity and Passport Service

National Fraud Authority

Date: Tue Jul 13 14:28:39 BST 2010

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