Police: Crime Rates

Baroness Hamwee Excerpts

Wednesday 19th January 2011 Lords Chamber

[Lord Wallace of Saltaire]

My Lords, the evidence is that police concentration on hot spots for crime has a great deal more impact than police numbers overall.

[Baroness Hamwee]

My Lords, detection uses forensic techniques quite extensively these days, yet the Government have announced the winding down of the Forensic Science Service, which is making a considerable operating loss. Will the Minister tell the House whether the Government have any concerns about the risks inherent in such a move, in particular whether commercial forensic science services are likely to concentrate on the more routine and easier cases? We may lose out as a result if such services do not use more expensive techniques. There is obvious potential for miscarriages of justice or, indeed, failure to prosecute.

[Lord Wallace of Saltaire]

My Lords, the Government are working very closely with ACPO and with the National Police Improvement Agency on managing the transition for the wind-down of the FSS. That includes identifying whether there are any needs that cannot be provided by the forensic market.