Government to wind down the FSS

The Government is to shut down the Forensic Science Service (FSS) which is currently operating at a loss of around £2 million every month.

The Home Office announced the decision on December 14 and said the present challenging forensics market had put it into serious financial difficulty.

The FSS will wind down its operations by March 2012.

In a written statement, Home Office Minister James Brokenshire said: “We have decided to support the wind-down of FSS, transferring or selling off as much of its operations as possible.
“We will work with FSS management and staff, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and other suppliers to ensure an orderly transition, but our firm ambition is that there will be no continuing state interest in a forensics provider by March 2012.

“There is no justification for the uncertainty and costs of trying to restructure and retain the business.”

The FSS was initially set up as an executive agency which was granted trading fund status in 1999 – a step designed to increase its financial flexibility. It has been fully government owned since December 2005 and has analysed and interpreted crime scene evidence for the criminal justice system since 1999, but the Government said that the market has drastically reduced in this time and the service could run out of money as early as January 2011.

In response to the Government’s announcement, ACPO said it acknowledged that there will be “significant implications” for forces.

Deputy Chief Constable Chris Eyre, ACPO Lead for Forensics Procurement, said: “ACPO is working in support of the Home Office on the wind down of the FSS. Contingency and transition plans have been put in place to support the police service over the next 15 months and maintain a sustainable operational capability.

“Although it is not the only forensics provider to the police service, the wind-down of the FSS will have significant implications for forces.

“ACPO, the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) and the Home Office are taking steps to ensure continuity of forensic services to the police service and have plans in place to manage an orderly transition, continuity of forensic capabilities and minimal impact on forces.”

ACPO added that it will lead on work to ensure the management and transition of all forensics activity is coordinated nationally to ensure that the criminal justice system is not put at risk through uncoordinated activity, either in individual forces or regions.

The decision to close operations could mean redundancy for employees, but the Government has said that it will be working closely to ensure staff are fully informed of all decisions to be taken.

“We will ensure the orderly wind-down of FSS does not impact on police service customers or the wider criminal justice system. With ACPO, we will put in place a central team to ensure work is transferred in a controlled way and that arrangements are put in place to ensure security of supply in future. The continued provision of effective forensics is our priority.

“We know that there are real challenges ahead for FSS staff, whose skills and contribution will be important as we move through the transition. We will be working hard with the company to ensure that staff are kept fully informed of developments.”

The Home Office added that it will be working with ACPO to seek to maximise the level of competition in the market, including through opportunities created by FSS leaving the field, which is hoped will help to ensure that police forces benefit from cost effective use of forensics.

Private sector competition is also expected to increase, providing innovative services at the lowest cost which “will preserve police resources and maximise the positive impact forensic sciences can have on tackling crime”.

However, the decision to abolish the FSS has been described as “astounding” by the main FSS union.

Prospect, the union that represents more than 1,000 forensic scientists and other