Conservative councillors in Bracknell Forest have renewed criticism of the council’s taxi licensing arrangements after it emerged that Diwan Khan, now convicted earlier this year of child rape, had been issued a taxi licence without a disclosed DBS check. The licence was granted during the previous Conservative administration, while the licensing service was at least partly managed through an outsourced arrangement.
Opposition confronts Labour over outsourced licensing
At a full council meeting on 15 July, the Conservative group planned to press the current Labour administration over its handling of the outsourced arrangements known as the Public Protection Partnership (PPP), which contracts licensing work to West Berkshire Council. The Conservatives say the Labour group must explain whether it supported the original creation of the PPP and the decision to extend the contract in December 2025, a move they say merits scrutiny because it took place after Mr Khan had been charged.
Labour leader and lead investigator into the matter, Cllr Helen Purnell, has published findings that place the principal responsibility with the previous Conservative administration, citing what she describes as “systemic failings”. She said her inquiry exposed deficiencies in the way licensing was managed and overseen before Labour took control.
“My investigation uncovered a shocking trail of negligence by the Conservatives.”
Where responsibility lies
Cllr Purnell has argued the decision to outsource licensing reduced local oversight and was compounded by wider factors such as national regulatory changes and pandemic-related disruption. She has highlighted that routine safeguarding measures — including DBS checks — should never have lapsed and criticised what she called a failure to carry out retrospective audits of licences issued during the COVID-19 period.
Conservative group leader Cllr Gareth Barnard countered that recent Labour decisions also need explanation, particularly the extension of the PPP in December 2025. At the council meeting he intended to question what “due diligence” accompanied that extension and whether there was adequate political oversight of the licensing function between May 2023 and December 2025.
Practical implications and local concern
The case raises immediate safeguarding and public-safety questions for residents who rely on licensed taxis. Although the investigation assigns blame to the prior administration, the political exchange highlights the risks of outsourcing statutory regulatory functions without robust local governance and audit arrangements.
For members of the public concerned about the licensing of drivers or wishing to check licence holders, the council’s licensing team and the PPP are the first points of contact. Any retrospective audit findings or changes to licensing policy should be reported by the council following the wider scrutiny at the full council meeting.
- Key dates: licence issued under previous Conservative administration; charged and later convicted earlier this year; PPP extension in December 2025; council meeting on 15 July.
- Main actors: Diwan Khan (convicted), Cllr Helen Purnell (Labour leader / investigator), Cllr Gareth Barnard (Conservative group leader).
- Core issues: absence of DBS checks, outsourcing of licensing to PPP/West Berkshire, questions over retrospective checks and political oversight.
| Issue | Detail |
|---|---|
| Licensing arrangement | Outsourced to Public Protection Partnership (West Berkshire Council) |
| Contested period | May 2023 to December 2025 |
| Political scrutiny | Raised at full council, 15 July |
The council must now reconcile the findings of the Labour-led inquiry with outstanding questions posed by the Conservatives about oversight and decision-making when the outsourcing arrangement was extended. Residents will expect clarity on what retrospective checks will be carried out, what safeguards will be put in place to prevent a recurrence and what remedial action the council will take if procedural failures are confirmed.
Any further statements or formal responses from the PPP, West Berkshire Council or the Conservatives and Labour groups in Bracknell Forest will be reported as they become available.
