We recognise that delays in examining digital devices can have an impact on criminal investigations, victims and individuals who rely on those devices for everyday essential services. Our plans to reform police forensic services into a nationally managed capability will enable new technologies and best practices to be rolled out faster and more consistently.

The NPCC and College of Policing have issued best practice guidance on police storage and retention of devices.

The Home Office does not collect information on the nationality of companies supplying technology to UK police forces and law enforcement bodies. The procurement of technologies is a matter for individual organisations, having considered the legal, ethical and security requirements.

In doing so, procurement decisions by police forces and law enforcement bodies must comply with UK procurement law, including the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, Procurement Act 2023, and relevant National Cyber Security Centre guidance on supply chain risk. They are also expected to follow the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice issued under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. Additionally, the Live Facial Recognition Commercial Framework produced by BlueLight Commercial is available to support police forces making procurement decisions before they issue contracts.

To ensure national consistency and public confidence, the Police Reform White Paper set out our intention to have one national procurement system under the National Police Service.

The Home Office does not collect information on the nationality of companies supplying technology to UK police forces and law enforcement bodies. The procurement of technologies is a matter for individual organisations, having considered the legal, ethical and security requirements.

In doing so, procurement decisions by police forces and law enforcement bodies must comply with UK procurement law, including the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, Procurement Act 2023, and relevant National Cyber Security Centre guidance on supply chain risk. They are also expected to follow the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice issued under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. Additionally, the Live Facial Recognition Commercial Framework produced by BlueLight Commercial is available to support police forces making procurement decisions before they issue contracts.

To ensure national consistency and public confidence, the Police Reform White Paper set out our intention to have one national procurement system under the National Police Service.

The police are responsible for collision investigations and for establishing the circumstances that have led to deaths and life changing injuries on our roads.

The police investigation and release of forensic collision investigation reports, along with decisions on how available resources in completing and releasing forensic collision investigation reports, along with decisions are the deployment of available resources, are the responsibility of Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners who take into account specific local problems and demands when making those decisions.

On 20 October 2025, alongside the publication of the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, the department published a consultation on Post-16 level 3 and below pathways, which closed on the 12 January. The reforms set out in the consultation simplify the level 3 qualifications landscape into 3 pathways: T Levels, V Levels and A levels. They also reform the level 2 landscape so that it better supports students to progress to level 3 or into employment.

V Levels will focus on core knowledge and skills linked with occupational standards, enabling progression to higher education, apprenticeships, or employment. T Levels combine sector-specific core content with a specialist component that develops competence in an occupation.

As part of our consultation, we have been engaging with the sector on transition arrangements. We will set out our response to the consultation in due course.

The department is working with awarding organisations, training providers, Skills England and sector representative organisations to develop these new qualifications, which will go through a series of checks for their quality and appropriateness for learners before being approved for funding.

The UNICEF Availability, Accessibility, Acceptability and Quality framework is used primarily in humanitarian, healthcare, gender-based violence, and child protection settings to assess barriers to service access, rather than qualification content design. As with all new policies the department needs to meet the Public Sector Equality Duty, and the consultation included an equality and diversity impact assessment.

The information requested on participation and regional access is not held centrally.

On 20 October 2025, alongside the publication of the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, the department published a consultation on Post-16 level 3 and below pathways, which closed on the 12 January. The reforms set out in the consultation simplify the level 3 qualifications landscape into 3 pathways: T Levels, V Levels and A levels. They also reform the level 2 landscape so that it better supports students to progress to level 3 or into employment.

V Levels will focus on core knowledge and skills linked with occupational standards, enabling progression to higher education, apprenticeships, or employment. T Levels combine sector-specific core content with a specialist component that develops competence in an occupation.

As part of our consultation, we have been engaging with the sector on transition arrangements. We will set out our response to the consultation in due course.

The department is working with awarding organisations, training providers, Skills England and sector representative organisations to develop these new qualifications, which will go through a series of checks for their quality and appropriateness for learners before being approved for funding.

The UNICEF Availability, Accessibility, Acceptability and Quality framework is used primarily in humanitarian, healthcare, gender-based violence, and child protection settings to assess barriers to service access, rather than qualification content design. As with all new policies the department needs to meet the Public Sector Equality Duty, and the consultation included an equality and diversity impact assessment.

The information requested on participation and regional access is not held centrally.

On 20 October 2025, alongside the publication of the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, the department published a consultation on Post-16 level 3 and below pathways, which closed on 12 January. As part of our consultation, we have been engaging with the sector on transition arrangements. We will set out our response to the consultation in due course.

On 20 October 2025, alongside the publication of the Post-16 Education and Skills white paper, the department published a consultation on Post-16 level 3 and below pathways, which closed on the 12 January. As part of our consultation, we have been engaging with the sector on transition arrangements. We will set out our response to the consultation in due course.

Forensic turnaround times currently vary with discipline. Time taken by forces to examine digital devices for example varies considerably, but urgent requests are always prioritised.

Chief Constables, and ultimately Police and Crime Commissioners, are currently responsible for forensics procurement and delivery, with some regional coordination. We are exploring the creation of a specialist national capability for police forensics, within the proposed National Centre for Policing, and have recruited a Director of Forensic Services to stabilise and reform forensics in the meantime.

The provision of high quality, timely forensic evidence is vital for an effective criminal justice system that prevents crime, prosecutes suspects, and gives victims the justice they deserve.

Hardworking police and forensic scientists do an excellent job delivering these vital services every day. However, we are confident we can achieve more for the public.

The Government have announced the creation of a new National Centre of Policing that will bring together crucial support services, including forensics, that local police forces can draw upon, to raise standards, and improve efficiency.

We have appointed a national forensic science lead who will transform our approach by helping to create creating a new model of delivery with the police and forensic leaders to raise standards and improve efficiency, and ultimately build greater public confidence in our criminal justice system.