Forensic Science Service: Annual Report and Accounts 2002

§ Baroness Scotland of Asthal

I have today laid before this House copies of the Forensic Science Service's Annual Report and Accounts for 2002–03.

Performance against Agency targets 2002–03

The FSS met seven of its nine targets and put in a strong financial performance.

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Financial targets

A 23.4 per cent return on capital employed was produced against a minimum target of 10 per cent.

A three-year rolling efficiency gain of 13.8 per cent was achieved against a target of 10 per cent.

Service Delivery

A 74-day turn round time in 90 per cent standard jobs (violent and volume crime cases) was achieved against a target of 70 days.

Dispatch dates in 94 per cent of urgent, 93 per cent critical cases and 96 per cent in persistent young offenders cases were met against targets of 98 per cent, 98 per cent and 99 per cent respectively.

Dispatch dates in 93 per cent of all categories of cases were met against a target of 93 per cent.

An 11 per cent increase on baseline in a transactional index of customer perception was achieved against a target of five per cent.

Service level agreements were put in place with 98 per cent of police forces against a target of 92 per cent.

Application for 100 per cent of reporting officers for accreditation to the Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners, where appropriate, was achieved against a target of 100 per cent.

External quality accreditation to ISO standards was maintained.

The main targets for 2003–04, the agency's fifth year of trading fund, area as follows. The targets are set out in full in Annex A.

Finance:

Target: a minimum of 15 per cent return on capital employed (three-year rolling average)
Target: a real reduction in charges by limiting price increases to 75 per cent of the average earnings index.
Target: an increase in investment in development to 12 per cent of turnover.
Target: generate £1 million external funding for research and development.

Non-Finance:

Target: 14-day average to inform customers of DNA crime scene stain result.
Target: six-day average to inform customers of DNA suspect sample result.
Target: turnaround time for 95 per cent of jobs to be 42 days by year end.
Target: maintain ISO accreditation.
Target: maintain Investors in People accreditation.
Target: introduce new diversity programme.

Annex A

The Forensic Science Service Agency targets for 2003–04.

Finance:

Target: a minimum of 15 per cent return on capital employed (three-year rolling average).
Target: a real reduction in charges by limiting price increases to 75 per cent of the average earnings index.
Target: an increase in investment in development to 12 per cent of turnover.
Target: generate £1 million external funding for research and development.

Non-Finance:

Target: establish an internal FSS end to end case ownership process.
Target: to have processes in place with 25 per cent of police forces within six months and 60 per cent by year end that agree new definitions of timeliness based on investigative and evidential contributions of forensic science.
Target: set up a pilot with customer to get agreement to devise a new process of end-to-end case ownership.
Target: sign up 60 per cent of customers (Police and CPS) at force level to service agreements (timeliness and charging) in context of national protocol.
Target: to have a process in place for 25 per cent in six months and 60 per cent by year end of cases to have a dedicated FSS case officer.
Target: develop training packages to support new ways of working by the year end.
Target: to engage training organisations to roll out training for Police and CPS.
Target: to design and develop a link between the National DNA Database and the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS).
Target: develop capability and capacity to deliver fast track processing of DNA samples within 48 hours.
Target: average time to analyse and inform customers of DNA crime scene stain results (normal track) of 14 days.
Target: 95 per cent of DNA crime scene stain results to have a turnround time of 20 days.
Target: average time to analyse and inform customers of DNA suspect sample results on the National DNA Database (normal track cases) of six days.
Target: 95 per cent of DNA suspect sample results to have a turnround time of 10 days.
Target: increase forensic effectiveness by developing an index and benchmark with Police Standards Unit (PSU).
Target: turnround time for 95 per cent of jobs to be 42 days by year end.
Target: maintain ISO accreditation.
Target: maintain Investors in People accreditation.
Target: establish and implement a diversity programme.

Forensic Science Service: Annual Report and Accounts 2002–03