Written question asked by David Ruffley (Conservative) on Thursday, 10 July 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 14 July 2008. It was answered by Meg Hillier (Labour) on Wednesday, 10 September 2008 on behalf of the Home Office.

Genetics: Databases

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many requests for information on the national DNA database her Department has received from other countries in 2007-08.

Answer: There are three categories of information sought from the national DNA database (NDNAD) by other countries."1. Searches carried out against the NDNAD of DNA profiles from outstanding serious crimes or for the identification of an unknown deceased person believed to be a United Kingdom national. Reports are issued directly to the 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. There were 727 responses to profile search requests in 2007-08.""2. Requests for the DNA profile held for a subject on the NDNAD, where fingerprints have been provided to the country that the individual currently resides in. Again this is information provided to SOCA. There were 89 subject DNA profiles provided in 2007-08.""3. Database management information. This provides the number of subject and crime scene DNA profile records held on the NDNAD and the number of match reports generated. Countries who do not have a DNA database use this information to demonstrate the success of the United Kingdom Database, to support their case for legislation in their own country for a DNA database."Requestors are directed to the most recent published NDNAD annual report, thus no figures are kept for the numbers of such requests.

Secondary information