To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of new DNA profiles added to the National DNA database in each month since September 2007 relate to individuals aged (a) under 16, (b) 16 to 18, (c) 19 to 20, (d) 21 to 30, (e) 31 to 40, (f) 41 to 50, (g) 51 to 60 and (h) over 60 years, broken down by police force; and if she will make a statement. (179093)

The figures given in the tables are the number of subject sample profiles taken by police forces in England and Wales and loaded to the National DNA Database (NDNAD) between 1 October 2007 and 18 January 2008. The data was obtained on 18 January 2008 and is based on the current age of the subjects as at 18 January 2008. Copies have been placed in the Library.

A proportion of DNA profiles held on the NDNAD are replicates, that is, a profile for a person has been loaded on more then one occasion (one reason for this is that the person gave different names, or different versions of their name, on separate arrests). During 2007, the replication rate was calculated to be 13.7 per cent. It was re-calculated as at 31 December 2007 and it is now estimated that 13.3 per cent. of profiles held on the NDNAD are replicates. Therefore, the number of individuals on the NDNAD is now approximately 13.3 per cent. less than the number of subject profiles. The presence of these replicate profiles on the NDNAD does not impact on the effectiveness and integrity of the database. None the less, a long-term exercise is under way to identify issues associated with the removal of all such redundant replicate profiles.