Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield Heeley)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many of the road traffic cases affected by manipulation of toxicology tests by Randox Testing Services resulted in a custodial sentence being overturned; and how long each of those sentences were prior to the manipulation being discovered.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
The information requested is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. |
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield Heeley)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the National Police Chiefs' Council's press release National operation to retest manipulated forensic samples is progressing at pace, published on 21 November 2018, how many of the 10,000 cases identified by the National Police Chiefs' Council as possibly being affected by manipulation at Randox Testing Services were discovered to have been manipulated following testing; and which categories of offences those cases related to.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) press release referred to in this Parliamentary Question was published on 21 November 2017, not 2018. This issue remains the subject of an ongoing police investigation to determine how many cases may have been manipulated.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield Heeley)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Written Statement of 27 November 2017 on Toxicology, HCWS265, how many people have subsequently been (a) released from prison and (b) had a conviction quashed as a result of the discovery of the manipulation of testing results.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
The re-testing of toxicology samples is ongoing and the police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) are working to identify the exact numbers and impact upon cases affected by re-testing. Figures as to the number of convictions quashed cannot be provided at this time. We are not aware of anyone having been released from prison as a result of toxicology re-testing. |
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield Heeley)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Written Statement of 21 November 2017 on Toxicology, HCWS265, how many C650 applications to vary or set aside a court order in relation to children have been filed in relation to the manipulation of test results by Trimega and Randox Testing Services.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
191955: Greater Manchester Police are undertaking an ongoing, expansive criminal investigation into alleged manipulation of toxicology results now by three individuals who were employed at Trimega, and later Randox Testing Services (RTS) after Trimega’s liquidation in 2014, and this matter is being treated with the utmost seriousness. As the police are now treating all results obtained by Trimega between 2010 and 2014 as unreliable, and because Trimega provided toxicology testing for civil and family court cases, it is possible that some civil cases may have been affected by manipulation, though this remains undetermined as the investigation is ongoing. |
191958: As of 16 November 2018, four C650 applications to vary or set aside a court order in relation to children (drug and/or alcohol toxicology test after 2010) have been filed with HM Courts & Tribunals Service. Of these, one was dismissed on application because it did not relate to testing undertaken by Trimega. Of the other three, one was withdrawn and another dismissed by the judge hearing the case. In one instance, a previous order was discharged.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield Heeley)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Written Statement of 21 November 2017 on Toxicology, HCWS265, whether any civil cases have been subsequently identified by his Department as having been affected by manipulation.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
191955: Greater Manchester Police are undertaking an ongoing, expansive criminal investigation into alleged manipulation of toxicology results now by three individuals who were employed at Trimega, and later Randox Testing Services (RTS) after Trimega’s liquidation in 2014, and this matter is being treated with the utmost seriousness. As the police are now treating all results obtained by Trimega between 2010 and 2014 as unreliable, and because Trimega provided toxicology testing for civil and family court cases, it is possible that some civil cases may have been affected by manipulation, though this remains undetermined as the investigation is ongoing. |
191958: As of 16 November 2018, four C650 applications to vary or set aside a court order in relation to children (drug and/or alcohol toxicology test after 2010) have been filed with HM Courts & Tribunals Service. Of these, one was dismissed on application because it did not relate to testing undertaken by Trimega. Of the other three, one was withdrawn and another dismissed by the judge hearing the case. In one instance, a previous order was discharged.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield Heeley)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the supply of Registered Intermediaries compared with the demand for them.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
Demand for Registered Intermediaries remains high. Between February and April 2018 1,065 referrals were received which is a 2% increase on the same period in 2017. The strong demand has led to further recruitment activity to increase capacity in the Witness Intermediary Scheme.