FOI release: FOI-0024: redacted response

Office of the Forensic Science Regulator
c/o Home Office Science
23 Stephenson Street
Birmingham B2 4BJ

Thank you for your e-mail of 11 May 2024, in which you ask for the following:

a. The number complaints received in the past 2 years regarding those individuals carrying out activities in the areas covered under the FSR codes in place at that time and those the FSR regulates.

b. The number of reported in the past 2 years incidents of non-conformity and or breaches of the codes that have occurred.

c. The number of complaints acted upon and investigated/undergoing investigation in each 12-month period.

Your request has been handled as a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

On commencement of s1 of the Forensic Science Regulator Act 2021, the Forensic Science Regulator (the Regulator) was established as an authority subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) effective 25 July 2022.

Part of the role of the Regulator is to investigate non-conformances which have been referred to the Regulator. Non-conformances (also known as referrals) refers to any aspect of a forensic unit’s work that does not meet the requirements set out in the forensic unit’s policies, procedures, commissioning party requirements, or the Code. Any other enquiries received by the Regulator that are not reporting non-conformances, are classified as general enquiries. Examples of general enquiries include questions about the Code or guidance documents, and general enquiries from the public about forensic science.