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Genetics: Databases

Volume 486: debated on Thursday 15 January 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people aged under 16 years have a profile on the National DNA Database; and of these how many have a conviction recorded on the police national computer; (241665)

(2) how many people aged under 10 years have a profile on the National DNA Database; and of these how many have a conviction recorded on the police national computer.

At 30 September 2008, there were 136,709 subject profiles on the National DNA Database (NDNAD) from persons currently aged under 16 submitted by police forces in England and Wales. The estimated number of individuals represented on the NDNAD is lower than the number of subject profiles as some profiles are replicates. The subject profile replication rate is currently calculated as 13.3 per cent. The estimated number of individuals aged under 16 is 118,527.

The NDNAD does not hold information on criminal histories such as subsequent charges, cautions or convictions; this information is held on the police national computer (PNC). Information on the number of young persons aged under 16 who have a profile on the NDNAD and who have a conviction is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, some information is available on the number of persons aged under 18 on the NDNAD who have a conviction. This was obtained from the NDNAD and the 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. 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.

At 30 September 2008, there were 70 subject profiles on the NDNAD from children currently aged under 10 submitted by police forces in England and Wales. The profile replication rate is not likely to apply to children aged under 10 as, in England and Wales, they are below the age of criminal responsibility and they cannot be arrested, prosecuted or convicted. Samples may only be taken from them with the consent of a parent or guardian.

On 16 December 2008 I announced that the Government would take immediate steps to remove the DNA profiles of children aged under 10 from the NDNAD.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield of 27 October 2008, Official Report, columns 676-7W, on genetics: databases, if she will break down the information given by police force area. (243418)

Numbers of profiles added to the National DNA Database (NDNAD) where the person concerned was under 18 (regardless of their current age), are shown in table 1. Numbers of profiles added to the NDNAD where the person concerned is currently under 18 are shown in table 2. Numbers of profiles added to the NDNAD where the person concerned was under 18 at the time the profile was loaded but is now over 18 are shown in table 3.

The figures provide a snapshot of the numbers added to the NDNAD by police forces in England and Wales as at 26 November 2008. In each table the numbers are broken down by gender and the police force which added the profile.

‘Unassigned’ means that the police representative did not complete the section of the form referring to the person’s gender.

The number of profiles on the NDNAD is not the same as the number of individuals as a profile may be a replicate, that is, a profile may have been loaded on more than one occasion. This can occur if a person gives a different name, or different version of their name on separate arrests, or if a profile is upgraded. The current replication rate for the whole NDNAD is 13.3 per cent.

The replication rate for profiles added by particular police forces may vary from this. Therefore a figure is given in each table for the estimated number of individuals on the NDNAD added by English and Welsh forces, but figures are not given for the estimated number of individuals added by each police force.

Table 1

Force

Gender

Total subject profile count

Avon and Somerset

Female

5,747

Male

15,794

Unassigned

408

Bedfordshire

Female

2,760

Male

7,095

Unassigned

227

British Transport

Female

1,609

Male

8,120

Unassigned

199

Cambridgeshire

Female

3,702

Male

9,156

Unassigned

11

Cheshire

Female

4,662

Male

13,243

Unassigned

400

City of London

Female

171

Male

1,084

Unassigned

2

Cleveland

Female

3,712

Male

9,886

Unassigned

62

Cumbria

Female

2,957

Male

8,085

Unassigned

67

Derbyshire

Female

5,491

Male

15,042

Unassigned

191

Devon and Cornwall

Female

6,957

Male

18,122

Unassigned

89

Dorset

Female

3,126

Male

8,269

Unassigned

26

Durham

Female

3,927

Male

10,650

Unassigned

6

Dyfed-Powys

Female

2,878

Male

7,980

Unassigned

102

Essex

Female

9,356

Male

23,971

Unassigned

152

Gloucestershire

Female

3,086

Male

7,661

Unassigned

136

Greater Manchester

Female

16,588

Male

45,486

Unassigned

524

Gwent

Female

3,103

Male

9,793

Unassigned

310

Hampshire

Female

10,071

Male

25,639

Unassigned

51

Hertfordshire

Female

5,200

Male

12,829

Unassigned

89

Humberside

Female

5,897

Male

15,481

Unassigned

85

Kent

Female

9,935

Male

24,748

Unassigned

462

Lancashire

Female

7,994

Male

24,514

Unassigned

172

Leicestershire

Female

3,307

Male

11,323

Unassigned

53

Lincolnshire

Female

2,760

Male

7,621

Unassigned

76

Merseyside

Female

7,130

Male

22,799

Unassigned

156

Metropolitan

Female

34,394

Male

117,133

Unassigned

562

Norfolk

Female

4,208

Male

10,380

Unassigned

47

North Wales

Female

3,619

Male

10,253

Unassigned

87

North Yorkshire

Female

3,886

Male

9,416

Unassigned

68

Northamptonshire

Female

1,622

Male

6,137

Unassigned

36

Northumbria

Female

13,235

Male

30,544

Unassigned

111

Nottinghamshire

Female

6,597

Male

16,616

Unassigned

650

South Wales

Female

7,275

Male

19,187

Unassigned

147

South Yorkshire

Female

7,697

Male

20,835

Unassigned

1

Staffordshire

Female

5,757

Male

16,738

Unassigned

59

Suffolk

Female

3,580

Male

8,957

Unassigned

266

Surrey

Female

3,610

Male

10,033

Unassigned

27

Sussex

Female

7,744

Male

18,137

Unassigned

8

Thames Valley

Female

8,540

Male

23,721

Unassigned

183

Warwickshire

Female

2,014

Male

5,903

Unassigned

40

West Mercia

Female

5,474

Male

13,890

Unassigned

57

West Midlands

Female

17,194

Male

49,447

Unassigned

1,907

West Yorkshire

Female

15,518

Male

38,156

Unassigned

164

Wiltshire

Female

3,230

Male

8,353

Unassigned

68

Total profiles

1,094,091

Total estimated individuals

948,577

Table 2

Force

Gender

Total subject profile count

Avon and Somerset

Female

2,379

Male

5,006

Unassigned

100

Bedfordshire

Female

1,013

Male

2,176

Unassigned

9

British Transport

Female

490

Male

1,898

Unassigned

22

Cambridgeshire

Female

1,369

Male

2,808

Unassigned

1

Cheshire

Female

1,779

Male

3,797

Unassigned

12

City of London

Female

32

Male

159

Cleveland

Female

1,489

Male

3,005

Unassigned

22

Cumbria

Female

1,152

Male

2,622

Unassigned

4

Derbyshire

Female

2,099

Male

4,819

Unassigned

109

Devon and Cornwall

Female

2,451

Male

5,210

Unassigned

1

Dorset

Female

1,077

Male

2,325

Unassigned

1

Durham

Female

1,487

Male

3,327

Unassigned

1

Dyfed-Powys

Female

928

Male

2,166

Unassigned

6

Essex

Female

3,816

Male

7,846

Unassigned

22

Gloucestershire

Female

1,112

Male

2,220

Unassigned

6

Greater Manchester

Female

6,178

Male

13,750

Unassigned

123

Gwent

Female

910

Male

2,438

Unassigned

94

Hampshire

Female

3,618

Male

7,585

Unassigned

4

Hertfordshire

Female

2,044

Male

3,918

Unassigned

2

Humberside

Female

1,898

Male

3,866

Unassigned

29

Kent

Female

3,615

Male

7,582

Unassigned

19

Lancashire

Female

2,513

Male

6,423

Unassigned

124

Leicestershire

Female

1,143

Male

3,104

Unassigned

5

Lincolnshire

Female

1,087

Male

2,375

Unassigned

34

Merseyside

Female

2,600

Male

6,542

Unassigned

22

Metropolitan

Female

10,589

Male

30,398

Unassigned

97

Norfolk

Female

1,470

Male

2,776

North Wales

Female

1,185

Male

2,749

Unassigned

3

North Yorkshire

Female

1,580

Male

2,989

Unassigned

1

Northamptonshire

Female

579

Male

1,685

Unassigned

1

Northumbria

Female

5,052

Male

9,808

Unassigned

4

Nottinghamshire

Female

2,519

Male

4,716

Unassigned

4

South Wales

Female

2,093

Male

4,578

Unassigned

5

South Yorkshire

Female

3,009

Male

6,223

Unassigned

1

Staffordshire

Female

2,084

Male

4,574

Unassigned

8

Suffolk

Female

1,333

Male

2,864

Unassigned

6

Surrey

Female

1,390

Male

2,966

Unassigned

2

Sussex

Female

2,919

Male

5,477

Unassigned

2

Thames Valley

Female

3,622

Male

7,743

Unassigned

68

Warwickshire

Female

790

Male

1,875

Unassigned

4

West Mercia

Female

2,136

Male

4,063

Unassigned

3

West Midlands

Female

6,217

Male

15,198

Unassigned

79

West Yorkshire

Female

6,042

Male

12,172

Unassigned

16

Wiltshire

Female

1,080

Male

2,287

Unassigned

2

Total profiles

337,154

Total estimated individuals

292,313

Table 3

Force

Gender

Total subject profile count

Avon and Somerset

Female

3,368

Male

10,788

Unassigned

308

Bedfordshire

Female

1,747

Male

4,919

Unassigned

218

British Transport

Female

1,119

Male

6,222

Unassigned

177

Cambridgeshire

Female

2,333

Male

6,348

Unassigned

10

Cheshire

Female

2,883

Male

9,446

Unassigned

388

City of London

Female

139

Male

925

Unassigned

2

Cleveland

Female

2,223

Male

6,882

Unassigned

40

Cumbria

Female

1,805

Male

5,463

Unassigned

63

Derbyshire

Female

3,392

Male

10,223

Unassigned

82

Devon and Cornwall

Female

4,506

Male

12,912

Unassigned

88

Dorset

Female

2,049

Male

5,944

Unassigned

25

Durham

Female

2,440

Male

7,323

Unassigned

5

Dyfed-Powys

Female

1,950

Male

5,814

Unassigned

96

Essex

Female

5,540

Male

16,126

Unassigned

130

Gloucestershire

Female

1,974

Male

5,441

Unassigned

130

Greater Manchester

Female

10,410

Male

31,740

Unassigned

401

Gwent

Female

2,193

Male

7,355

Unassigned

216

Hampshire

Female

6,453

Male

18,055

Unassigned

47

Hertfordshire

Female

3,156

Male

8,911

Unassigned

87

Humberside

Female

3,999

Male

11,616

Unassigned

56

Kent

Female

6,320

Male

17,169

Unassigned

443

Lancashire

Female

5,481

Male

18,092

Unassigned

48

Leicestershire

Female

2,165

Male

8,220

Unassigned

48

Lincolnshire

Female

1,673

Male

5,246

Unassigned

42

Merseyside

Female

4,530

Male

16,257

Unassigned

134

Metropolitan

Female

23,805

Male

86,737

Unassigned

439

Norfolk

Female

2,738

Male

7,605

Unassigned

47

North Wales

Female

2,434

Male

7,506

Unassigned

84

North Yorkshire

Female

2,306

Male

6,427

Unassigned

67

Northamptonshire

Female

1,043

Male

4,452

Unassigned

35

Northumbria

Female

8,183

Male

20,738

Unassigned

107

Nottinghamshire

Female

4,078

Male

11,900

Unassigned

646

South Wales

Female

5,182

Male

14,611

Unassigned

142

South Yorkshire

Female

4,688

Male

14,613

Staffordshire

Female

3,673

Male

12,164

Unassigned

51

Suffolk

Female

2,247

Male

6,093

Unassigned

260

Surrey

Female

2,220

Male

7,067

Unassigned

25

Sussex

Female

4,825

Male

12,660

Unassigned

6

Thames Valley

Female

4,918

Male

15,978

Unassigned

115

Warwickshire

Female

1,224

Male

4,029

Unassigned

36

West Mercia

Female

3,338

Male

9,827

Unassigned

54

West Midlands

Female

10,977

Male

34,249

Unassigned

1,828

West Yorkshire

Female

9,476

Male

25,985

Unassigned

148

Wiltshire

Female

2,150

Male

6,066

Unassigned

66

Total profiles

756,937

Total estimated individuals

656,264