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The Forensic Science Service House of Commons Science and Technology Committee The Forensic Science Service Seventh Report of Session 2010–12 Volume II Additional written evidence Ordered by the House of Commons to be published 16 February, 28 February, 16 March, 30 March, 4 April, 27 April, and 11 May 2011 Published on 1 July 2011 by authority of the House of Commons London: The Stationery Office Limited The Science and Technology Committee The Science and Technology Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Government Office for Science and associated public bodies. Current membership Andrew Miller (Labour, Ellesmere Port and Neston) (Chair) Gavin Barwell (Conservative, Croydon Central) Gregg McClymont (Labour, Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East) Stephen McPartland (Conservative, Stevenage) Stephen Metcalfe (Conservative, South Basildon and East Thurrock) David Morris (Conservative, Morecambe and Lunesdale) Stephen Mosley (Conservative, City of Chester) Pamela Nash (Labour, Airdrie and Shotts) Jonathan Reynolds (Labour/Co-operative, Stalybridge and Hyde) Graham Stringer (Labour, Blackley and Broughton) Roger Williams (Liberal Democrat, Brecon and Radnorshire) Powers The Committee is one of the departmental Select Committees, the powers of which are set out in House of Commons Standing Orders, principally in SO No.152. These are available on the Internet via www.parliament.uk Publications The Reports and evidence of the Committee are published by The Stationery Office by Order of the House. All publications of the Committee (including press notices) are on the Internet at http://www.parliament.uk/science. A list of reports from the Committee in this Parliament is included at the back of this volume. The Reports of the Committee, the formal minutes relating to that report, oral evidence taken and some or all written evidence are available in printed volume(s). Additional written evidence may be published on the internet only. Committee staff The current staff of the Committee are: Glenn McKee (Clerk); Dr Stephen McGinness (Second Clerk); Dr Farrah Bhatti (Committee Specialist); Xameerah Malik (Committee Specialist); Andy Boyd (Senior Committee Assistant); Julie Storey (Committee Assistant); Pam Morris (Committee Assistant); and Becky Jones (Media Officer). Contacts All correspondence should be addressed to the Clerk of the Science and Technology Committee, Committee Office, 7 Millbank, London SW1P 3JA. The telephone number for general inquiries is: 020 7219 2793; the Committee’s e- mail address is: [email protected] List of additional written evidence (published in Volume II on the Committee’s website www.parliament.uk/science) Page 1 Professor Brian Caddy (FSS 01) Ev w1 2 Dr Peter Dean (FSS 02) Ev w2 3 Allan McCullagh (FSS 03) Ev w2 4 Geoffrey Hanson (FSS 04) Ev w3 5 Mrs Jennifer Button (FSS 05) Ev w4 6 Justin Scott (FSS 06) Ev w5 7 Andrea Grout (FSS 07) Ev w6 8 John Millington (FSS 08) Ev w8 9 Mrs Marylyn Godber (FSS 09) Ev w8 10 Alan Calverd (FSS 10) Ev w9 11 W Folkard (FSS 11) Ev w9 12 John Haley (FSS 12) Ev w10 13 G Burton (FSS 13) Ev w12 14 Mrs Carol Hannam (FSS 14) Ev w12 15 Mr Roderick Hannam (FSS 15) Ev w14 16 Dr Denise Syndercombe Court (FSS 17) Ev w15 17 Graham Owen (FSS 18) Ev w18 18 Professor Peter Gill (FSS 19 and 19a) Ev w20, Ev w24 19 Andrew Meaby (FSS 20) Ev w25 20 Dr Fiona Perry (FSS 21) Ev w26 21 Natural History Museum (FSS 22) Ev w28 22 FSS Firearms Units Staff (FSS 23) Ev w30 23 Professor Ronald C Denney (FSS 24) Ev w33 24 David Baldwin (FSS 25) Ev w35 25 Amanda Meaby (FSS 26) Ev w37 26 Mike Chan (FSS 27) Ev w38 27 Pat Best (FSS 28) Ev w40 28 Edward Braxton Reynolds (FSS 30) Ev w41 29 Dr S P Day (FSS 31) Ev w45 30 Forest Forensic Services (FSS 32) Ev w48 31 Antonio Queenan (FSS 33) Ev w50 32 David Sawney (FSS 34) Ev w53 33 Claire Franklin (FSS 35) Ev w55 34 D J X Halliday (FSS 36) Ev w57 35 Andrea Stanton (FSS 37) Ev w58 36 Peter S B Minty (FSS 38) Ev w59 37 Statistics and Law Working Group of the Royal Statistical Society (FSS 39) Ev w61 38 Deborah Weeks (FSS 40) Ev w63 39 Peter Grant (FSS 41) Ev w64 40 FSS London Toxicology Team (FSS 42) Ev w66 41 Mrs Florence Heap (FSS 43) Ev w70 42 S J Griffith (FSS 44) Ev w70 43 Key Forensic Services Ltd (FSS 45) Ev w71 44 Forensic Science Northern Ireland (FSS 46) Ev w74 45 Anne Chapman-Damms (FSS 47) Ev w77 46 Gemma Escott, Elizabeth Harris, Nicola Taylor and Michelle Walton (FSS 48) Ev w78 47 Miss Sammy Warnakulasuriya (FSS 49) Ev w81 48 Dr Richard J C Barron (FSS 50) Ev w82 49 Mrs Hilary Kingston (FSS 51) Ev w84 50 Dr Susan Pope (FSS 52) Ev w85 51 Emma Wilson (FSS 53) Ev w87 52 S Hearsum (FSS 54) Ev w88 53 Lisa Webb-Salter (FSS 55) Ev w89 54 Dr S R Baker (FSS 56) Ev w93 55 Colin Osmond (FSS 57) Ev w96 56 Ian Parkinson (FSS 58) Ev w98 57 Jeffrey Gray and Sara Gray (FSS 59) Ev w101 58 Neville Isles and Lynn Bower (FSS 60) Ev w104 59 Dr Kevin Sullivan (FSS 61) Ev w107 60 Robert Green (FSS 62) Ev w111 61 Abigail Snasdell (FSS 64) Ev w117 62 The Forensic Institute (FSS 65) Ev w120 63 Ian Kirkwood (FSS 67) Ev w124 64 Dr S M Willis (FSS 68) Ev w125 65 British Medical Association (FSS 69) Ev w127 66 Northumbria University Centre for Forensic Science (FSS 70) Ev w128 67 Statistics and Interpretation Group, Research and Development Department, Forensic Science Service (FSS 71) Ev w131 68 Katy Rowe and Laura Davis (FSS 72) Ev w132 69 Terry Kent (FSS 74) Ev w135 70 The Biochemical Society (FSS 75) Ev w138 71 Mike Silverman (FSS 77) Ev w139 72 Shailes Jagatiya (FSS 78) Ev w140 73 Centre for Forensic Investigation, Teesside University (FSS 79 and 79a) Ev w143, Ev w145 74 FSS Gunshot Residue Staff (FSS 80) Ev w145 75 Axiom International Limited (FSS 81) Ev w147 76 Professor T J Wilson, Northumbria University Centre for Forensic Science (FSS 82) Ev w151 77 Criminal Cases Review Commission (FSS 83) Ev w155 78 Catherine Turner and Orlando Elmhirst (FSS 84) Ev w158 79 Forensic Science Society (FSS 85) Ev w163 80 Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians of London (FSS 86) Ev w164 81 Royal Society of Chemistry (FSS 88) Ev w164 82 Research Councils UK (FSS 92) Ev w166 83 GeneWatch UK (FSS 93) Ev w168 84 Mike Barber (FSS 94) Ev w168 85 Alan Field (FSS 95) Ev w169 86 Alan Whittle (FSS 97) Ev w169 87 John Welch (FSS 98) Ev w170 cobber Pack: U PL: CWE1 [SO] Processed: [28-06-2011 14:01] Job: 009836 Unit: PG01 Science and Technology Committee: Evidence Ev w1 Written evidence Written evidence submitted by Professor Brian Caddy (FSS 01) 1. The forensic science investigation of a criminal case is a complex process. Briefly, it begins with the assembly of the correct “tools” properly validated for their defined use and processes to the deployment of properly trained and accredited personnel who investigate the crime scene. Most of these personnel are under the control of the police forces as scenes of crime officers (SOCO’s) or crime scene investigators (CSI’s) but especially in serious crimes some of the personnel will be laboratory based scientists. Where items are found and by whom are recorded and then appropriately packaged and securely transported to either a forensic science laboratory or a police station with its own small laboratory for preliminary screening. These latter laboratories may or may not be accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). All major forensic science laboratories, whether directly controlled through the Home Office ie The Forensic Science Service (FSS), or commercially independent such as LGC-Forensics, Cellmark, Key Forensics, must be accredited under UKAS if they are to present evidence to the courts for the prosecution. Compliance with the accreditation is monitored by the Forensic Science Regulator. The Regulator also has a role in producing manuals of best practice. Of vital importance both at the scene, during transportation and within the laboratory are measures to prevent contamination and cross contamination. This process is a costly one and compliance with legal requirements means that it can also become a stressful one associated with the need to meet time deadlines. 2. There is a misconception that forensic science is simply a series of independent .tests. For example, a test on a stain on a garment to determine if it is blood, followed by a DNA test on the cut out stain to determine the origin of the blood. Such tests can be itemised and costed appropriately. Moreover, if the first test is carried out in the police laboratory it will reduce costs to that police force. The problem with such an approach is that while the profile of the DNA may be obtained, the scientist conducting the test will find it difficult and sometimes impossible to interpret the meaning of his findings in the context of the case. This would be exacerbated if there is additional scientific evidence to be woven into the tapestry of the case such as a blood stained footwear mark at the scene to be matched with all, rather than some, of the footwear recovered from suspects. It is not unknown, on the basis of cost, for only selected footwear to be sent to the laboratory.
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