Status of all recommendations

SPA should review the functionality and membership of the Forensic Services Committee to provide effective and robust governance, providing an effective platform for Police Scotland, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner to hold SPA Forensic Services to account in terms of the quality and delivery of service provision.

SPA Forensic Services must urgently address drug driving analysis and reporting turnaround times, cognisant of six-month statutory timescales.

SPA Forensic Services must prioritise the recruitment of toxicology staff – as outlined in the Forensic Services Operating Model – to ensure current drug driving demand levels can be met in the short term.

SPA and Police Scotland should develop a drug driving Enforcement Model that incorporates incremental growth and investment for innovation and technology with an adjoining public communication plan.

SPA Forensic Services should review its Estates Strategy in respect of toxicology provision and consider the development of a dedicated road traffic facility.

SPA and SPA Forensic Services must, as a matter of urgency, articulate the delivery of forensic service provision (as laid out in section 31 of the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012) to manage expectations of agencies and to ensure understanding of what is required by those in SPA Forensic Services.

Police Scotland should include drug driving prevention activity within its current road safety prevention activity.

Scottish Government should consider refreshing its Road Safety Framework to 2030 to include drug driving, given the growing prevalence in Scotland.