Written question asked by David Davis (Conservative) on Monday, 20 November 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 23 November 2006. It was answered by Lord Reid of Cardowan (Labour) on Thursday, 14 December 2006 on behalf of the Home Office.

DNA Database

Question: (2) how many people who have not been convicted of a crime are on the DNA database, broken down by police force.

Answer: [holding answers 23 November 2006]: The national DNA database records the DNA profile for a particular individual. It does not hold data on arrest and criminal records. This information is held on the Police National Computer (PNC). At present the facilities do not exist on PNC to provide the information requested.Since May 2001, about 200,000 DNA samples taken from people charged with offences have been retained, which would previously have had to be destroyed because of the absence of a conviction. From these, approximately 8,500 profiles of individuals have been linked with other crime scene stains, involving nearly 14,000 offences. These offences included 114 murders, five attempted murders, 116 rapes, 68 sexual offences and 119 aggravated burglaries.Since April 2004, DMA profiles of arrested persons who have not been proceeded against have also been retained. This has resulted in matches with crime scene profiles from over 3,000 offences including 37 murders, 16 attempted murders, 90 rapes and 1,136 burglary offences. These links may not have been made if the power to take a DNA sample on arrest had not been implemented.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 454 c1314-5W;454 c1316-7W; 102429
Session: 2006-07
Related items: Deposited Paper DEP 07/1932
Thursday, 14 December 2006
Deposited papers
House of Commons; DNA Database
Thursday, 14 December 2006
Written questions
House of Commons
Subjects: Databases Genetics
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk