Data on young persons aged under 18 were obtained from the National DNA Database (NDNAD) and the Police National Computer (PNC) on 9-10 April 2008. The NDNAD data indicate that, on 10 April 2008, there were 349,934 subject sample profiles relating to persons aged 10 to 17 on it. There are more profiles than individuals due to DNA samples being taken from some individuals on more than one occasion, that is, there is some duplicate sampling. It is estimated that the current rate of profile replication is about 13.3 per cent. Taking the replication rate into account, it is estimated that the 349,934 profiles are equivalent to 303,393 persons aged 10 to 17.
Data obtained from the PNC on 9-10 April indicate that, of those estimated 303,393 persons, 264,297 (87.1 per cent.) had a conviction, caution, reprimand or had received a final warning and 39,095 (12.8 per cent.) had not been convicted, cautioned, received a final warning/reprimand and had no charge pending against them.
The information requested is given in the table. The figures show the number of subject sample profiles retained on the National DNA Database (NDNAD) at 31 March 2008, which were taken by police forces in England and Wales. The number of subject profiles is not the same as the number of individuals. It is currently estimated that 13.3 per cent. of profiles held on the NDNAD are replicates, that is, that a profile for a person has been loaded on more than one occasion. The replication rate of 13.3 per cent. should, however, be applied only over the entire NDNAD, as the replication rate for individual police forces varies considerably. The table gives the number of subject profiles for each police force only, but gives a total estimated number of individuals for all English and Welsh police forces.
Force Subject profiles Avon and Somerset 101,352 Bedfordshire 45,460 British Transport 45,455 Cambridgeshire 53,796 Cheshire 79,569 City of London Police 23,013 Cleveland 51,618 Cumbria 44,632 Derbyshire 87,379 Devon and Cornwall 109,393 Dorset 49,817 Durham 52,359 Dyfed-Powys 49,410 Essex 124,403 Gloucestershire 44,061 Greater Manchester Police 244,975 Gwent 51,730 Hampshire 145,141 Hertfordshire 73,823 Humberside 82,241 Kent 140,840 Lancashire 141,859 Leicestershire 66,912 Lincolnshire 47,643 Merseyside 129,261 Metropolitan Police 810,134 Norfolk 65,261 North Wales 58,506 North Yorkshire 56,198 Northamptonshire 43,929 Northumbria 166,358 Nottinghamshire 97,853 South Wales Constabulary 116,821 South Yorkshire 117,769 Staffordshire 96,357 Suffolk 46,838 Surrey 60,274 Sussex 112,083 Thames Valley 147,630 Warwickshire 31,989 West Mercia 76,227 West Midlands 292,873 West Yorkshire 215,675 Wiltshire 49,310 Total 4,748,227 Estimated number of individuals 4,126,642
The National DNA Database (NDNAD) was established in 1995, when responsibility for the operational management of the NDNAD rested with the Forensic Science Service (FSS) on behalf of the Police Service. No central records of costs relating to the maintenance of the NDNAD are held prior to 2002, as cost data were incorporated in other costs incurred by the FSS.
In December 2005, the FSS was vested as a Government owned company and the NDNAD transferred from the FSS to the Home Office. On 1 April 2007, the NDNAD transferred from the Home Office to the National Policing Improvement Agency.
The costs relating to the maintenance of the NDNAD from 2002-08 and the estimated cost for 2008-09 are given in the following tables. The costs from 2006-07 are higher than for previous years, because of the complete separation of costs from the FSS, and because the increase in the number of forensic suppliers requires additional resources for accreditation and continuous monitoring.
£ 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 NDNAD Services costs 774,304 904,385 1,276,823 l,245,151 Supplier Accreditation costs 320,507 388,047 433,828 459,192 Total l,094,811 l,292,432 1,710,651 1,704,343
£ 2006-07 2007-08 2008-091 NDNAD Service delivery including delivery of IT Development projects 2,041,743 1,600,087 1,770,000 Custodian Accreditation 527,677 574,817 750,000 Total 2,569,420 2,174,904 2,520,000 1 Estimate.