Foulkes storms out of talks over forensic lab's future

LOTHIANS Labour MSP George Foulkes has stormed out of a meeting with Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill over the threat to the future of Edinburgh's police forensic laboratory.

UNDER THREAT: The future of Edinburgh's forensic lab

Lord Foulkes, one of several Lothians MSPs at the meeting, objected to Mr MacAskill's refusal to publish the report from the Scottish Police Services Authority recommending whether the lab at Howdenhall should be retained, closed or downgraded as part of a review of forensic services in Scotland.

He claimed the Justice Secretary had told them he had not even read the report.

Lord Foulkes said: "His admission that he still hadn't read the report, after five weeks of it sitting in his intray is truly astonishing, and a dereliction of duty."

Edinburgh South Lib Dem MSP Mike Pringle, who also attended the meeting, said he had stressed to Mr MacAskill that nothing should be done which undermined Howdenhall's achievement in increasing the number of crimes being solved in Scotland.

He said: "Kenny MacAskill said they would make sure the forensic service is as good at the one we have now, but options had been put forward which he had to consider."

Meanwhile, Lord Foulkes voiced concern about figures gathered on the lab's performance.

He said one of the strongest arguments in favour of keeping the lab open was the speed with which it was able to deliver test results for Lothian and Borders Police. But he claimed civil servants seeking figures on the lab's quick turnaround of tests had chosen a period which they knew would not produce the most favourable picture.

Lord Foulkes said: "I'm a bit suspicious they are trying to contrive things. Howdenhall have been asked to provide statistics for July to September this year. That's not a very good period - and I think those asking for the information must know this - because there were no large-scale operations during that time.

"If they had chosen other periods, like November 2008 to March 2009 there were 55 quick turnarounds in Operation Flair, or November 2009 to March 2010, when there were 44 quick turnarounds.

"They seem to have asked for a date which would not give them all that brilliant a figure."

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Police Services Authority said: "It is entirely normal and routine for laboratories to be asked for performance figures like this."

The Scottish Government said no date had been set for an announcement on the future of forensic services, but Mr MacAskill has said he plans to make a decision "as soon as I can".