Forensic Science Service (Hansard, 28 July 1988)

§ Mr. Alex Carlile
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any proposals for improving the effectiveness of the Home Office forensic science service; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
Work to this end is in hand in the following main areas:
(i) The relationship between the service and its users
User boards have been established at each laboratory, chaired by a chief constable, to improve the relationship between the laboratory and the police forces and courts which it serves.
(ii) Longer-term planning of the future of the service
Each laboratory is drawing up a strategy plan, covering the next three years, in consultation with its user board. These will be considered by the national police advisory board which includes representatives of the police, local authorities and the courts.
(iii) The staffing of the service
Proposals are under discussion for a new structure for the operational laboratories of the service aimed at enhancing their ability to meet the demands on them by increasing the number of officers reporting cases to court and enabling the service to recruit and train the staff it needs. A new director-general is to be appointed shortly.

§ Mr. Alex Carlile
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of(a) the staff inspection of the Chepstow forensic science laboratory, (b) the work management exercise at the Birmingham laboratory, (c) the staff inspection at the Birmingham 418W laboratory and (d) the review of senior staff; and if he will make a statement as to the value for money of these reviews.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
The information requested is as follows:

£

Staff inspection, Chepstow forensic science laboratory 21,752

Work measurement exercise/staff inspection,¹ Birmingham forensic science laboratory 73,283

¹ The work measurement exercise and staff inspection at Birmingham forensic science laboratory were closely related, and their costs cannot readily be separated.

The review of the senior staff of the service included a staff inspection of the senior posts in the operational laboratories, at a cost of £3,197. Other costs of the review cannot readily be identified separately.
These exercises have provided useful information about the staffing and complementing arrangements of the service and have contributed to the development of new proposals aimed at enhancing its effectiveness and improving its efficiency.

	£
Staff inspection, Chepstow forensic science laboratory	21,752
Work measurement exercise/staff inspection,¹ Birmingham forensic science laboratory	73,283
¹ The work measurement exercise and staff inspection at Birmingham forensic science laboratory were closely related, and their costs cannot readily be separated.