A Bill to make provision to promote volunteering; to enable potential volunteers to obtain a fit and proper person certificate for their activities; and for connected purposes.
The Bill would provide for the introduction of a 'fit and proper person certificate', which would fulfil the requirement for background checks for potential volunteers. The certificate would be a signed declaration by a potential volunteer stating that they had not been convicted of an offence. For volunteers aged under 18, the certificate would be countersigned by a parent or guardian. The Bill would also amend the Police Act 1997 to take account of the introduction of the new certificate.
The Volunteering Bill would create a new ‘fit and proper person certificate’ for volunteers, requiring a signed declaration that they have not been convicted of an offence. For volunteers under 18, a parent or guardian would countersign the certificate. The bill would also amend the Police Act 1997 to reflect the new certificate. It is currently at the Second Reading in the House of Commons.
The bill is at the Second Reading in the Commons, so it is in the early stages of passage and would proceed to committee scrutiny and further readings if it progresses.
Generated 21 February 2026
No recorded votes for this bill yet.
