Thread by @JeSuisTC

I've been asked why the govt announcements of new austerity measures is so bad for private #forensic science providers /1

it should be obvious but I'll try and spell it out, here's the percentage change in external spend on forensic science by police forces 2011-2020, it's sort of a measure of volumes submitted to forensic science providers, [sort of - data provided police forces rarely clear] /2

when cuts hit police forces, they do everything they can to protect their internal spend, they call it protecting the front line, but somehow we still have 43 forces, with 43 chief constables and 43 PCCs/mayors. They cut external spend to the bone, including £ to private FSPs /3

the last time austerity measures were introduced, the govt closed the forensic science service. Private FSPs were profitable and ready to invest mega £ into what they thought was a growing market with the removal of its biggest player, and yes they got a little bounce in profit/4

Then austerity hit, police forces took huge chunks of cash out of the market, not only by going with the lowest possible tender pricing but also by reducing the volume of forensic submissions to the bare minimum, and sometimes not even that. /5

to the point where one FSP finally keeled over, it required emergency taxpayer funding to keep the machines on whilst current cases could be completed. It was to miracuosly survive /6

The govt only interevened when it looked likely that a second FSP was on the brink. They forced the police to allow prices for services to be raised to stabilise the market. Their concept of a stable market was one that didn't make a profit, but didn't cause a crisis either /7

Now, with new austerity measures to come, what do you think will happen? How do you think the police will react to cuts? There is no guarantee of volume of submissions in any of the forensic contracts, they are at the whim of each individual police force. /8

Compared to 2010, the private market is in no position to withstand austerity measures, it simply has nothing left. /9 /ends

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