Home / Sources / Select Committees / Science and Technology Commit… / Forensic science: follow-up
Select committee: Science and Technology Committee

Forensic science: follow-up

Open Opened 3 Nov 2025

Science and Technology Committee Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗

Inquiry scope (the committee's words)
The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee is conducting a short inquiry into forensic science, following up on its 2019 inquiry and the recent work from the Westminster Commission on Forensic Science, which described the sector as being in a ‘graveyard spiral’.

Where it stands

The inquiry is open, opened 3 November 2025.

The committee has published 1 report, most recently 3rd Report - Rebuilding forensic science for criminal justice: an urgent need on 17 February 2026.

The government's response

Published 21 April 2026. The deadline was 17 April 2026.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The Government welcomes the Committee's report and agrees on the need to address variation in forensic services, proposing to do so mainly through a National Forensic Service within a National Police Service, while noting that reform "will take time".

  • It agrees on "the need for strong national leadership and clear safeguards" and says it will create national governance for forensic services in the National Police Service, with a Director of Forensic Services leading co-design with policing.
  • On the proposed National Institute, it does not adopt that model. It says functions such as research, specialist expertise and capacity assessment will be strengthened through the National Forensic Service, and it "will consider" an approved expert register with the Forensic Science Regulator.
  • On defence provision, it acknowledges concerns that the expert ecosystem is fragile. The Ministry of Justice will review the structure of defence forensic expert rates, and "Any immediate changes to expert rates will be done on a cost-neutral basis."
  • On digital forensics and AI, it states "we have no plans for a single programme" but is developing a range of activities, and says AI used in forensic services will be subject to "appropriate assurance".

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error

Reports

All reports

Evidence

  • 6 oral evidence sessionsLatest 7 January 2026
  • 22 witnesses
All evidence

Recent activity

Reports

1 report

Oral evidence sessions

6 sessions

On smaller screens, scroll horizontally to read every column. Keyboard users can focus the table region and use the arrow keys.

Date Session and witnesses Source
7 Jan 2026
Oral evidence session
Amanda-Jane Balfour · Home Office, Christophe Prince · Home Office, Sarah Jones MP · Home Office, Sarah Sackman KC MP · Ministry of Justice 		View ↗
9 Dec 2025
Oral evidence session
Dr Marc Bailey · Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, Gary Pugh OBE, Matt Gantley · United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) 		View ↗
2 Dec 2025
Oral evidence session
Dr Paul Gibson · Lincolnshire Police, Jake Moore · Eset Cybersecurity, Jayne Meir · Northumbria Police, Jo Osborne · BlueLight Commercial, Professor Sarah Morris, Steve Rick · Forensic Analytics 		View ↗
25 Nov 2025
Oral evidence session
Fiona Douglas · Scottish Police Authority Forensic Services, Katy Thorne KC, Professor Claude Roux · Centre for Forensic Science, University of Technology Sydney 		View ↗
18 Nov 2025
Oral evidence session
Dr Des Vanhinsbergh · Key Forensic Services, Dr Mark Pearse · Eurofins Forensic Services, Professor Ruth Morgan 		View ↗
11 Nov 2025
Oral evidence session
Professor Angela Gallop CBE, Professor Carole McCartney, Professor Niamh Nic Daeid 		View ↗

Who gave evidence

22 witnesses

On smaller screens, scroll horizontally to read every column. Keyboard users can focus the table region and use the arrow keys.

WitnessOrganisationSessions
Amanda-Jane Balfour · Director of Forensic Services Home Office 1
Christophe Prince · Data and Identity Director Home Office 1
Dr Des Vanhinsbergh · Managing Director Key Forensic Services 1
Dr Marc Bailey · Chief Science, Research & Innovation Officer Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency 1
Dr Mark Pearse · Director Eurofins Forensic Services 1
Dr Paul Gibson · Chief Constable Lincolnshire Police 1
Fiona Douglas · Director Scottish Police Authority Forensic Services 1
Gary Pugh OBE Not recorded 1
Jake Moore · Global Cybersecurity Adviser Eset Cybersecurity 1
Jayne Meir · Deputy Chief Constable Northumbria Police 1
Jo Osborne · Senior Commercial Director BlueLight Commercial 1
Katy Thorne KC Not recorded 1
Matt Gantley · Chief Executive United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) 1
Professor Angela Gallop CBE Not recorded 1
Professor Carole McCartney Not recorded 1
Professor Claude Roux · Director Centre for Forensic Science, University of Technology Sydney 1
Professor Niamh Nic Daeid Not recorded 1
Professor Ruth Morgan Not recorded 1
Professor Sarah Morris Not recorded 1
Sarah Jones MP · Minister for Policing and Crime Home Office 1
Sarah Sackman KC MP · Minister for Courts and Legal Services Ministry of Justice 1
Steve Rick · CEO Forensic Analytics 1

Correspondence

3 letters

On smaller screens, scroll horizontally to read every column. Keyboard users can focus the table region and use the arrow keys.

PublishedDirectionLetter
29 Jan 2026 To committee Letter from Dr Mark Bailey, Forensic Science Regulator, ref Forensic Science Inquiry Follow-Up
29 Jan 2026 To committee Letter from Sarah Jones MP, Minister of State for Policing and Crime, Home Office, ref Forensic Science Inquiry Follow-Up
18 Nov 2025 To committee Letter from Alison Fendley OBE, Executive Director, Forensic Archive, ref Forensic Science Inquiry Follow-Up