Online database 'will list sex offenders'

Parents will be able to check the records of nannies and home tutors under plans today aimed at closing the loopholes that let sex offenders work with children.

Employers - including parents - will have access to a new online database containing the names of adults who are convicted or cautioned for sex offences.

Education Secretary Ruth Kelly will later today publish a new Bill tightening the system for vetting teachers and barring unsuitable adults from working in schools.

She came under intense pressure earlier this year after it emerged that ministers had cleared a string of people on the sex offenders register to work as teachers.

A Government source said the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Bill will:

* Strip ministers of their powers to decide whether to bar adults from working in schools and hand responsibility to a new independent panel;

* Create a new central vetting system, bringing relevant information together in one place for the first time

* Ban anyone convicted or cautioned for sex offences from working in schools or other education settings;

* Require all schools, supply teacher agencies and other agencies to perform criminal records checks on all new teachers.

The Government source said the system for vetting teachers needed "fundamental reform" to make sure child safety was always the most important principle.

"The system will allow parents and families to check the barred status of those they employ for the first time," the source said.

"This would include carers, music teachers, nannies and home tutors."

The Bill follows the row which engulfed Ms Kelly in January.

Last year, her Department had cleared Paul Reeve to work as a PE teacher in a Norfolk school even though he was cautioned for accessing banned images of children on the internet and placed on the sex offenders register.

She later confirmed that 88 sex offenders had not been barred from working in schools, while more had only received partial bans.

The Tories and parents groups demanded that the minister apologise and suggested she should consider her position.

Ms Kelly promised to close the loopholes in a dramatic Commons statement that many commentators believe saved her Cabinet career.

She said at the time: "I deeply regret the worry and concern that has been caused to parents over the last few days.

"I'm determined to do all I can to ease their concerns."

The measures outlined in the Bill will come into force next year.

In the meantime, ministers are being advised by an expert panel over all other cases where they have to decide whether or not to stop individuals working in schools.