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Written question asked by Baroness Featherstone (Liberal Democrat) on Monday, 16 June 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 18 June 2008. It was answered by Alan Campbell (Labour) on Monday, 10 November 2008 on behalf of the Home Office.

Genetics: Databases

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people aged (a) under 10, (b) 10 to 17, (c) 18 to 20 and (d) 21 and over in each ethnic appearance category were registered on the national DNA database in each of the last five years; and how many of those had been (i) arrested but had no further action taken against them, (ii) charged but later acquitted, (iii) charged where such charges were subsequently dropped and (iv) given a reprimand of final warning in each of those years.
Answer

The function of the National DNA Database (NDNAD) is to match DNA profiles taken from crime scenes with those taken from individuals. It does not contain any information on whether those on it have been arrested, charged or given a reprimand or final warning.Information is available on the number of those whose profiles have been added to the NDNAD by English and Welsh police forces, as at 16 July 2008, broken down by ethnic appearance category and the age groups requested, as given in Table 1. Age is defined as the person's age at the time DNA was taken from them, not their current age. This data could only be further broken down to show which profiles were added in each of the last five years at disproportionate cost.The number of profiles is not the same as the number of individuals. This is because a number of subject profiles on the NDNAD are replicates, that is, a profile for a person has been loaded to the NDNAD on more than one occasion.This may arise for a number of reasons, such as a person giving a different name on different occasions they are arrested, or because of upgrading of profiles. It is estimated that 13.3 per cent of the subject profiles held on the entire NDNAD are replicates.Ethnic appearance is based on the judgement of the police officer taking the sample as to which of six broad ethnic appearance categories the person is considered to belong. 'Unknown' means that no ethnic appearance information was recorded by the officer taking the sample.

Table 1
Ethnic appearance Age range Number of profiles Number of individuals using 13.3per cent estimated replication rate
Unknown Under 10 19 16
10-17 53,274 46,189
18-20 34,605 30,003
21 and over 210,113 182,168
Unknown age on load 880 763
Total Unknown 298,891 259,138 6
Black Under 10 7
10-17 81,748 70,876
18-20 46,823 40,596
21 and over 240,017 208,095
Unknown age on load 6,747 5,850
Total Black 375,342 325,422
Middle Eastern Under 10 2 2
10-17 4,105 3,559
18-20 4,383 3,800
21 and over 27,077 23,476
Unknown age on load 295 256
Total Middle Eastern 35,862 31,092
Asian Under 10 6 5
10-17 43,998 38,146
18-20 38,730 33,579
21 and over 176,783 153,271
Unknown age on load 2,234 1,937
Total Asian 261,751 226,938
White Southern European Under 10 11 10
10-17 15,290 13,256
18-20 10,850 9,407
21 and over 63,783 55,300
Unknown age on load 1,169 1,014
Total White Southern European 91,103 78,986
Chinese, Japanese or SE Asian Under 10 0 0
10-17 2,929 2,539
18-20 3,140 2,722
21 and over 24,139 20,929
Unknown age on load 127 110
Total Chinese, Japanese or SE Asian 30,335 26,300
White North European Under 10 54 47
10-17 856,617 742,687
18-20 514,545 446,111
21 and over 2,372,906 2,057,310
Unknown age on load 56,063 48,607
Total White North European 3,800,185 3,294,760

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
482 c798-802W; 212373
Session
2007-08
Subjects
Databases Genetics
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk