The Independent Safeguarding Authority requires the registration of anybody who works in a school for four days a month – even if they are fixing the radiators or installing wind turbines on the roof. Businesses are rightly angry about what they see as a hidden tax. The fact that they have no contact with children cuts no ice, as this email we just received from a renewable energy business outlines:

‘We install renewable energy systems for example wind turbines and solar photovoltaic (electricity generation) systems to both residential and commercial customers. Many of our larger customers are schools and they are starting to ask for vetting and barring registration, although they call it CRB checks.

We do not work with children. We do not talk to them. We prefer to work during school holidays and half terms but this is not always possible. I spoke to the ISA they said that if we spend four or more days at the same school, the regime applies to us. I said that we had no contact with children and their reply was that the possibility existed.

My concern is that this is a stealth tax on doing business. If we refuse to comply or even object, we will be seen as having something to hide and may even lose business as a result. To take this to its illogical conclusion, it seems clear that postmen who deliver to the same school more than 4 times in the same month will obviously have to register.’