Adjournment debate on Wednesday, 9 December 2009, in the House of Commons, led by Diane Abbott. The answering member was Alan Campbell.

National DNA Database

Westminster Hall adjournment debate on the National DNA database.

Secondary information

Type: Parliamentary proceeding
Reference: 502 c104-27WH
Session: 2009-10
Department: Home Office
Chamber / Committee: Westminster Hall
Related items: Deposited Paper DEP2010-1098
Wednesday, 9 December 2009
Deposited papers
House of Commons
Proceeding contributions: Diane Abbott | 502 c105WH (Link to this contribution) If profiling means that someone will make assumptions about a person's criminality or the sort of cr...; Diane Abbott | 502 c104WH (Link to this contribution) I am very grateful indeed to have the opportunity to debate the issue of the national DNA database i...; Bob Spink | 502 c104WH (Link to this contribution) Is the situation not even worse, as some people in the community think that the police are making ar...; Diane Abbott | 502 c104-5WH (Link to this contribution) That is a very important point. It is alarming if innocent people are being harassed and arrested wh...; Andrew Murrison | 502 c105WH (Link to this contribution) I congratulate the hon. Lady on initiating this important debate. Does she consider that profiling i...; David Leslie Taylor | 502 c105-6WH (Link to this contribution) My hon. Friend mentioned the 5 million figure. Some 800,000 of those live in the midlands. At an ind...; Diane Abbott | 502 c106WH (Link to this contribution) I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his intervention. My argument is not that there should not be a ...; Keith Vaz | 502 c106WH (Link to this contribution) I also congratulate my hon. Friend on obtaining the debate. Following on from the point made by the ...; Diane Abbott | 502 c106-7WH (Link to this contribution) My right hon. Friend is, as ever, both a philosopher and intensely practical. If the service offered...; Bob Spink | 502 c106WH (Link to this contribution) In fact, there is more than confusion about the matter. The Government cannot rely on the fact that ...; Diane Abbott | 502 c106WH (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman is quite right. We have an arbitrary, discriminatory system. Yet, Ministers—later...; Keith Vaz | 502 c107WH (Link to this contribution) He is from Leicester.; Diane Abbott | 502 c107WH (Link to this contribution) Indeed, he is from Leicester.; David Leslie Taylor | 502 c107WH (Link to this contribution) It is possible that the Minister, who is in many ways a very able and sensitive man, will say in his...; Diane Abbott | 502 c107WH (Link to this contribution) As always, my hon. Friend displays both his perception and his mastery of the figures. Yes, of cours...; Diane Abbott | 502 c111-2WH (Link to this contribution) I would be glad to do so. I am pleased to hear that the Select Committee is going to take that actio...; Keith Vaz | 502 c111WH (Link to this contribution) As a result of what my hon. Friend has done on the issue—she probably does not know this, as it has ...; Diane Abbott | 502 c110WH (Link to this contribution) Precisely, unless there are guidelines, transparency and accountability. Chief constables are doing ...; David Leslie Taylor | 502 c110WH (Link to this contribution) Is there not a risk, or even a suspicion, that innocent people whose DNA is destroyed or withdrawn a...; Diane Abbott | 502 c110WH (Link to this contribution) It is based on nothing, and it leads to the sort of inequality between police forces that other hon....; Andrew Murrison | 502 c110WH (Link to this contribution) I am fascinated to know what the discretion is based on. Do the police feel that the person might ha...; Diane Abbott | 502 c109-10WH (Link to this contribution) Harrods—exactly. [Laughter.] The girl went to Primark to return some goods that she had bought the d...; Keith Vaz | 502 c109WH (Link to this contribution) Harrods.; Diane Abbott | 502 c108-9WH (Link to this contribution) I am very grateful to the hon. Gentleman for that intervention. Of course that is the problem. There...; Andrew Murrison | 502 c107-8WH (Link to this contribution) The hon. Lady is being extremely generous in giving way and taking interventions. I think that she h...; Diane Abbott | 502 c112-3WH (Link to this contribution) Which is not a verdict in the British system. Sir Alec went on to say:""I have never seen any argume...; David Leslie Taylor | 502 c112WH (Link to this contribution) Not proven.; Gregory Campbell | 502 c113WH (Link to this contribution) I, too, commend the hon. Lady on securing this debate. I have listened carefully to her powerful arg...; Speaker | 502 c127WH (Link to this contribution) Order. We must move on to the next debate.; Jeremy Corbyn | 502 c127WH (Link to this contribution) But not charged.; Alan Campbell | 502 c127WH (Link to this contribution) But not charged. However, if the profiles of those who are arrested but not convicted are not kept, ...; Alan Campbell | 502 c127WH (Link to this contribution) I am running out of time, so I will not give way. We must strike a balance, and we consider that ou...; Alan Campbell | 502 c124WH (Link to this contribution) And in the remarks that followed my original point on this, that is exactly what I was saying. I rec...; Diane Abbott | 502 c124WH (Link to this contribution) My hon. Friend talks about stigma attached to the database. He needs to come to one of the advice su...; Alan Campbell | 502 c123-4WH (Link to this contribution) The assumption would be that that has already happened and that the problem would get bigger. The ot...; Paul Robert Holmes | 502 c123WH (Link to this contribution) Of course, I said no such thing. What I said, in a discussion about the Government following the log...; Jeremy Corbyn | 502 c124WH (Link to this contribution) My experience and knowledge of this is that young people are frequently arrested in groups on the st...; Jeremy Corbyn | 502 c118WH (Link to this contribution) I am sorry that I missed the first part of the speech of my hon. Friend the Member for Hackney, Nort...; Alan Campbell | 502 c123WH (Link to this contribution) It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr. Hancock. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Me...; James Brokenshire | 502 c118-23WH (Link to this contribution) The hon. Lady makes a point about unintended consequences, and I do not intend to stray into the wid...; Diane Abbott | 502 c118WH (Link to this contribution) On the number of young people, both black and white, whose DNA is on the database, is the hon. Gentl...; James Brokenshire | 502 c118WH (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman makes an important point about the consequences of having simply let the database...; Diane Abbott | 502 c126WH (Link to this contribution) Where is the research?; Alan Campbell | 502 c126WH (Link to this contribution) Let me quote again Chris Sims, chief constable of the west midlands who leads for ACPO on DNA. He sa...; Paul Robert Holmes | 502 c127WH (Link to this contribution) Will the Minister give way?; Alan Campbell | 502 c126WH (Link to this contribution) I will come to the research in a moment. I pray in aid that point simply to show that it is plain co...; Jeremy Corbyn | 502 c125WH (Link to this contribution) Does the Minister anticipate that the new guidelines will include guidelines on whether to take DNA ...; Alan Campbell | 502 c124-5WH (Link to this contribution) I disagree with the final point in my hon. Friend's remarks. Earlier, he spoke about this coming bac...; Paul Robert Holmes | 502 c126WH (Link to this contribution) Does the Minister agree that Mark Dixie was not convicted because his DNA was on the database from s...; Alan Campbell | 502 c125-6WH (Link to this contribution) We are verging into territory where we must trust the police's discretion in many ways. That involve...; Diane Abbott | 502 c126WH (Link to this contribution) These dramatic cases are all very well and affecting, but the House is waiting to hear from Minister...; Alan Campbell | 502 c126WH (Link to this contribution) Okay. Let me try this example for the hon. Gentleman. Steve Wright murdered five prostitutes in Ipsw...; James Brokenshire | 502 c117-8WH (Link to this contribution) I congratulate the hon. Member for Hackney, North and Stoke Newington (Ms Abbott) on securing the de...; Paul Robert Holmes | 502 c117WH (Link to this contribution) I thank the hon. Lady for that intervention. She is quite correct. One problem with creating a datab...; David Leslie Taylor | 502 c116WH (Link to this contribution) Just for clarification, I should say that in the case that I mentioned of the indie band The Thirst,...; Paul Robert Holmes | 502 c113-6WH (Link to this contribution) The Minister, the hon. Member for Hornchurch (James Brokenshire) and I have discussed the DNA databa...; Diane Abbott | 502 c117WH (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman mentions an argument that we often hear—"If you're innocent, you've nothing to fe...; Paul Robert Holmes | 502 c116-7WH (Link to this contribution) I thank the hon. Gentleman for that clarification. Last April, my constituent said, "Right, you've ...; Diane Abbott | 502 c113WH (Link to this contribution) I am not aware that chief constables have requested guidance. However, people not requesting guidanc...
Subjects: Databases DNA Genetics Police Powers
Link: View this Parliamentary proceeding on www.publications.parliament.uk

National DNA Database

Secondary information

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