Forensic Science Service (Hansard, 16 July 2002)

§ Lord Falconer of Thoroton

Copies of the Forensic Science Service's (FSS) annual report and accounts for 2001–02 have today been laid before Parliament.

Performance against agency targets 2001–02:

The FSS met seven of its 10 targets and concluded the financial year with a strong performance.

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Financial targets:

A 12.9 per cent return on capital employed was produced against a target of 10 per cent.

A three-year rolling efficiency gain of 10 per cent was achieved against a target of 10 per cent.

Service delivery:

An average turnaround time of 35 days was achieved against a target of 26 days.

Ninety-four per cent, 92 per cent and 90 per cent of agreed dates were achieved in urgent, critical and persistent young offender cases (respectively) against targets of 97 per cent, 97 per cent and 100 per cent.

Eighty-nine per cent of agreed delivery dates in all categories were achieved against a target of 93 per cent.

Service level agreements were put into place with 92 per cent of police forces, against a target of 90 per cent.

A biennial customer satisfaction survey was conducted.

A baseline overall measure for putting into place routine and robust customer satisfaction measurement processes based on transactional approach and for demonstrating year-on-year improvements in police (customer) satisfaction was established.

External quality accreditation to ISO standards was maintained, and extended.

Application for 50 per cent of reporting officers for accreditation to the Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners, where appropriate was achieved.

The targets for 2002–03, the agency's fourth year of trading fund, are:

Finance:

Target: a 10 per cent return on captial employed.

Target: a 10 per cent efficiency gain (over three years).

Service delivery:

Target: a 5 per cent increase in transactional index of customer satisfaction (baseline 100 per cent).

Target: agreements on service levels implemented with 92 per cent of police forces.

Target: maintain quality accreditation.

Target: meet dispatch dates in 98 per cent of urgent and critical cases and 99 per cent in persistent young offenders cases.

Target: meet dispatch dates in 93 per cent of all categories of cases.

Target: achieve a 70 calendar day turnaround time in 90 per cent of standard jobs (violent and volume crime cases) by the year end, demonstrating improvements through the year.

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Target: submit applications for accreditation to the Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners (CRFP) of 100 per cent of reporting officers in areas where the CRFP is registering people.