Parliamentary Search

Written question asked by David Ruffley (Conservative) on Monday, 26 November 2007, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 28 November 2007. It was answered by Meg Hillier (Labour) on Tuesday, 5 February 2008 on behalf of the Home Office.

Databases: Genetics

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many requests for information held on the national DNA database her Department received from other countries in each year since 2004.
Answer

There are three categories of information sought from the National DNA Database by other countries:1. Searches carried out against the National DNA Database of DNA profiles from outstanding serious crimes or for the identification of an unknown deceased person believed to be a UK national. Reports are issued directly to United Kingdom National Central Bureau for Interpol (UK NCB) based at the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) as to the outcome of each profile search.

Number of searched profile responses provided to SOCA
2004-05 149
2005-06 249
2006-07 498
2007-08 to date 28 November 2007 523
Total 1,419

2. Request for the DNA profile held for a subject on the National DNA database, where fingerprints have been provided to the country that the individual currently resides in. Again this is information provided to SOCA.

Subject DNA profiles provided
Number of profiles provided to SOCA
August 2004 to December 2004 12
2005 76
2006 66
2007 to date 28 November 2007 62
Total 216

3. Database management information. This provides the number of subject and crimestain DNA profile records held on the database and the number of match reports generated. Countries who do not have a DNA database use this information to demonstrate the success of the UK Database to support their case for legislation in their own country for a DNA database. Requestors are directed to the most recent published National DNA Database annual report, thus no figures are kept for the numbers of such requests.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
169351; 471 c992-3W;471 c994-5W
Session
2007-08
Subjects
Databases Genetics
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk