§ Mr. HendryTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average length of time it took each of the national forensic laboratories to complete an investigation, from referral to conclusion in the last 12 months. [12040]
§ Angela EagleFigures available to the Home Office only include the work of the Forensic Science Service in England and Wales. Response times vary dependent on the offence type. There can be more than one referral in an investigation. The average turn around time for individual referrals was 26 days for the 12-month period from April 2000 to March 2001. In the year to date since March 2001 the average turn round time was 28 days.
§ Mr. HendryTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many forensic scientists were employed by the national forensic laboratories in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [12039]
§ Angela EagleThe average number of forensic scientists employed by the Home Office Forensic Science Service in each of the last five years is:
Year Number 1996–97 814 1997–98 855 1998–99 1,027 1999–2000 1,221 2000–01 1,603