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Proceeding contribution from Diane Abbott (Labour) in the House of Commons on Wednesday, 9 December 2009. It occurred during Adjournment debate on National DNA Database.


National DNA Database

As always, my hon. Friend displays both his perception and his mastery of the figures. Yes, of course, the Minister will throw at us figures for crimes that have been solved by the use of the DNA database. I conceded that point—that DNA is used to solve crimes—at the beginning of my remarks. However, the question is how many of those crimes were solved by the DNA of innocent people having been kept? Furthermore, if we restricted the collection of DNA from innocent people to certain specific categories of violent and sexual crime, could we not achieve the same results without taking DNA willy-nilly from children under 16 or from people for whom there is no chance of prosecution? Also, I was going to return to Sir Alec Jeffreys, the father of DNA—


Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
502 c107WH 
Session
2009-10
Chamber / Committee
Westminster Hall
Subjects
Databases DNA Genetics Police Powers
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk