THE SNP Scottish government has presided over “chaos” and a 10-figure temp bill at Disclosure Scotland, Labour has warned.

Figures uncovered by the party found that the executive agency tasked with carrying out criminal record and background checks for employers and charities on those working with vulnerable groups saw its spending on temporary staff soar in recent years.

In 2012, Disclosure Scotland spent £1.9 million on temporary workers, a figure that rocketed to £39.8m by 2018. 

While the sum had dropped to £9.2m last year, with £7.5m already spent this year with three months to go, the total bill for temporary workers since 2012 now stands at a staggering £103m.

The spending however has done little to improve turnaround times for the agency, with basic background checks taking an average of 5.9 days in 2023 compared to four in 2016. 

Hitting out at what he called “the SNP’s disastrous mismanagement of Disclosure Scotland,” Scottish Labour children and young people spokesman Martin Whitfield said: “Years of SNP failure has left Disclosure Scotland in chaos, relying on expensive temporary staff to paper over the cracks.

“The safety of our schools and our public services is being put at risk by this turmoil.

“This is costing taxpayers millions of pounds at a time when public finances are stretched to breaking point and leaving workers in limbo while they wait for their applications to be dealt with.

“A well-functioning disclosure system is a matter of public safety — the SNP must hire the staff needed to carry out robust and speedy checks.”

A Scottish government spokesperson responded: “While staffing and recruitment are matters for Disclosure Scotland, as with all executive agencies, the Scottish government regularly engages with them on these issues to ensure there is no disruption to services.”