Government response to Rebuilding Forensic Science for Criminal Justice: An urgent need

This is the government's response, published 21 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".

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