The fine follows a critical report on the firm running the bureau

The Liverpool-based bureau, set up last year to protect children and vulnerable adults from sex offenders, was faced with a backlog of checks in September.

The delay meant teachers could not be put in charge of classes at the beginning of the school year.

A Home Office spokesman told BBC News Online on Wednesday the final figure for the penalty was agreed earlier this month but only just made public.

It follows a parliamentary question about the payment tabled by Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman Matthew Taylor.

Capita was originally awarded a �400m contract over 10 years.

A report on the bureau, published in February, proposed a "radical" overhaul and came up with 10 recommendations for change.

They included getting education and health authorities and others seeking checks to do more of the initial work.