'No decision' in forensic lab row

The Aberdeen lab provides fingerprint analysis and crime scene examination

No decision has been taken over controversial proposals to close a forensics lab serving police in north Scotland, ministers have insisted.

The Scottish Police Services Authority wants to merge the Aberdeen lab, which serves the Grampian and Northern forces, with a new one in Dundee.

Community Safety Minister Fergus Ewing said the decision rested with the Holyrood government.

His comments came as MSPs expressed concern about the proposals.

The SPSA said moving to Dundee, where a state-of-the art lab is being built for late 2009, would be more efficient.

However, the chief constable of Grampian Police has said investigations would suffer under centralisation.

I want every pound spent to have a significant return for the communities on Scotland Tom Nelson SPSA

During a member's debate at Holyrood, led by Aberdeen Central MSP Lewis Macdonald, north east politicians branded an SPSA consultation on the issue "flawed", saying it had failed to look at the case for retaining the Aberdeen lab.

"Forensic science is vital in the fight against crime and the service provided to Grampian Police and Northern Constabulary from Aberdeen is second to none," said Mr Macdonald, a Labour MSP.

Some of the 47 staff based at the Aberdeen lab, used for fingerprint analysis and to test for DNA on clothes, fibres and anything else left at a crime scene, travelled to Edinburgh to watch the debate.

Mr Ewing said there was a commitment to providing the best possible service to Scotland's eight police forces.

He went on: "I think I would say that the SPSA understand that the process of engagement and consultation has been regarded as flawed."

The minister said there had been "an attempt" at consultation, but pointed out that the buck stopped with ministers.

"The SPSA proposes and the Scottish Government disposes," said Mr Ewing.

Tom Nelson, the SPSA's director of forensic services, said: "I want every pound spent to have a significant return for the communities in Scotland and therefore I want to make sure that where we invest that money we will get that return.

"I believe that will be through a merger of the Aberdeen and Dundee laboratories into a new purpose-built facility in Dundee, to allow us to provide that excellent service to the whole of the north and north east of Scotland."