Written question asked by David Ruffley (Conservative) on Tuesday, 18 December 2007, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 7 January 2008. It was answered by Meg Hillier (Labour) on Tuesday, 8 January 2008 on behalf of the Home Office.

Genetics: Databases

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of people whose DNA records are held on the National Police Database have (a) a criminal record, (b) been the subject of wrongful arrest and (c) been given a custodial sentence.

Answer: In relation to the proportion of people whose DNA records are held on the National DNA Database (NDNAD) who have a criminal record, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone) on 13 December 2007, Official Report, column 761W. This gives figures for the number of persons with a profile on the NDNAD sampled by police forces in England and Wales who have a conviction, caution, formal warning or reprimand recorded on the PNC i.e. who have a criminal record. No data are held centrally on the number of persons with a DNA profile on the NDNAD who have been the subject of a wrongful arrest. No recent data are available on the proportion of people whose DNA records are held on the National DNA Database (NDNAD) who have a conviction and who have been given a custodial sentence. These data could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Secondary information