3rd Report - Rebuilding forensic science for criminal justice: an urgent need
- HC No.
- —
- Published
- 17 Feb 2026
- Items
- 0
- Response
- Response document linked Read government response ↗
Select Committee · Science and Technology Committee
Forensic science: follow-up
Status: Open
Opened: 3 Nov 2025
1 report
Inquiry scope
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’.Reports
Oral evidence sessions
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| Date | Session and witnesses | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Jan 2026 | 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 | Dr Marc Bailey · Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, Gary Pugh OBE, Matt Gantley · United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) | View ↗ |
| 2 Dec 2025 | 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 | 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 | Dr Des Vanhinsbergh · Key Forensic Services, Dr Mark Pearse · Eurofins Forensic Services, Professor Ruth Morgan | View ↗ |
| 11 Nov 2025 | Professor Angela Gallop CBE, Professor Carole McCartney, Professor Niamh Nic Daeid | View ↗ |
Who gave evidence
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| Witness | Organisation | Sessions |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | — | 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 | — | 1 |
| Matt Gantley · Chief Executive | United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) | 1 |
| Professor Angela Gallop CBE | — | 1 |
| Professor Carole McCartney | — | 1 |
| Professor Claude Roux · Director | Centre for Forensic Science, University of Technology Sydney | 1 |
| Professor Niamh Nic Daeid | — | 1 |
| Professor Ruth Morgan | — | 1 |
| Professor Sarah Morris | — | 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
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| Published | Direction | Letter |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |