Rishi Sunak has visited a North Yorkshire digital forensics laboratory to see how cutting-edge technology is helping to support criminal investigations across the UK.
The MP for Richmond and Northallerton toured CACI’s Digital Forensics Laboratory, which opened in Northallerton in 2023 and provides accredited digital forensic services to police forces and investigators.
During the visit, Mr Sunak was shown how digital evidence is extracted and analysed from mobile phones and electronic devices.
Mr Sunak said: "Digital evidence now plays a role in the vast majority of criminal investigations and the work being carried out here in Northallerton is making an important contribution to law enforcement and public safety.
"It was fascinating to see the technology and expertise involved in digital forensics and to meet the highly skilled team supporting police forces and investigators across the country.
"The investment that has been made in this facility demonstrates the strength of North Yorkshire's growing reputation for advanced technology and specialist services."
With more than 90 per cent of crimes now involving a digital element, demand for forensic examination is rising.
The laboratory has earned UKAS accreditation under ISO/IEC 17025 for testing and ISO/IEC 17043 for proficiency testing, underscoring its commitment to quality and reliability.
It serves police forces and other public and private forensic providers, ensuring evidence is processed to the highest standards for use in court.
Mr Sunak also learned about CACI’s pioneering work in proficiency testing, which supports laboratories in assessing their performance using realistic investigation scenarios.
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In 2024, CACI became the first UK provider to obtain UKAS accreditation for digital forensic proficiency testing schemes.
Cathy Sutherland, CACI’s Senior Vice President of Information Intelligence, said: "We were delighted to host Mr Sunak and showcase the work our teams do every day to support law enforcement and identify improvements through our accredited digital forensic investigation and Proficiency Testing services."
By helping increase capacity for police digital forensic units, the lab ensures evidence can be processed to the standards required for use in court.
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