Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to reduce forensic service caseloads.
Forensic Science is a vital tool in the Criminal Justice System and the government takes the welfare of all forensic scientists very seriously.
Approximately 80% of forensic service provision is delivered by policing in-house, with the remainder delivered by external service providers under police contract. The quality of these services is overseen by the Forensic Science Regulator.
The Home Office has invested in the Forensic Capability Network (FCN), which has operated since April 2020 on behalf of all police forces in England and Wales to increase efficiency and quality; to manage demand in forensic services; and to support the National Police Chiefs Council in co-ordinating policing’s response to major incidents such as the response to Covid-19.
A national contingency plan has been enacted to manage the impact of Covid-19 and the NPCC is working closely with external service providers. The Home Office will continue to support the FCN and the NPCC in delivering these plans.