To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the reasons were for proposing the closure of the Forensic Science Services (FSS) Chorley laboratory as part of the consultation to reduce national FSS staff numbers. (282949)

The Forensic Science Service (FSS) has embarked on a consultation on its plans to transform, to move to a new national delivery model based around four primary sites, instead of the current seven main locations. It is not a consultation to cut staff numbers.

The company’s preferred model does not envisage the long-term continued use of Chorley as a main laboratory. No final decision has been taken ahead of completion of the consultation.

In selecting those sites proposed as suitable for inclusion, a number of factors were carefully considered.

A main building block of the proposed operational delivery model is the co-location of body fluid search examination with DNA analytical facilities to meet the challenging customer timeliness requirements and improvements in success rates (i.e. providing a useful DNA profile from a body fluid stain). This is significantly different to how the current services operate and a key enabler to any estate footprint.

Current DNA analytical facilities are located at Huntingdon, London, Trident Court and Wetherby. The start up cost and time lag of introducing DNA facilities into sites where DNA is not currently delivered has had a significant impact on the choice of proposed retained locations.

Among other key factors considered were:

Available laboratory space, as well as type of space;

Lowest risk on customer disengagement;

Maintaining geographical spread across England & Wales;

Overall execution risk and cost/benefit analysis;

Response to scenes;

Current mix of skills at each site and their alignment, as far as possible, to the proposed national business streams.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with coroners based in the North West on the proposed closure of the e laboratory in Chorley. (284501)

The Forensic Science Service (FSS) has a pathology laboratory in Sheffield which services the north-west. Staff at this facility have held discussions on the transformation of the FSS with local coroners.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has consulted the police force of (a) Lancashire, (b) Merseyside, (c) Greater Manchester, (d) Cumbria and (e) Cheshire on the proposed closure of the Forensic Science Service laboratory in Chorley. (284502)

The Forensic Science Service (FSS) has communicated with all its law enforcement customers as part of the consultation process, in order to develop a proposed new structure that will best serve the needs of the Criminal Justice Service.

The FSS will continue to communicate with its law enforcement customers throughout the process.