Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Written Statement of 21 November 2017, HCWS265, on toxicology, whether (a) Randox Testing Services and (b) Trimega were purchased outside of the National Forensics Framework.

There have been two National Forensics Frameworks. One let in July 2008 by the National Policing Improvement Agency, known as the National Forensic Framework Agreement (NFFA), which ran between July 2008 and July 2012; and a replacement Framework let by the Home Office known as the National Forensic Framework Next Generation (NFFNG), which ran between 31 July 2012 and 30th July 2016. Both Frameworks were open to all police forces in England and Wales for the procurement of forensic analysis services. Randox Testing Services (RTS) were one of the forensic service providers on both frameworks. Police forces undertake the purchase of forensic analysis services themselves and may hold information on purchases with RTS.

Trimega were not party to either Framework. We can find no record of Trimega applying for either the NFFA or the NFFNG. I understand that Trimega worked in the family law sector rather than the criminal justice sector.