Disclosure Scotland is taking up to 12 weeks in some cases to process reports of the criminal histories of people wanting to work with children, said the Scottish Parliament's Education Committee.
But it should process 90 per cent of properly completed applications within 14 days.
The committee called for the Scottish Executive to ensure disclosure times "decrease quickly" to meet the 14-day target.
"Disclosure Scotland has to operate thoroughly but it also has to operate quickly," said Education Committee convener Robert Brown.
The Executive said it had authorised an increase in Disclosure Scotland's workforce from 64 to 132 staff and said there were "indications that the backlog is now being tackled".
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