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National DNA Database

Volume 490: debated on Friday 27 March 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people of each (a) age group, (b) ethnicity, (c) gender and (d) religion had DNA profiles stored on the national DNA database at the latest date for which figures are available. (264765)

The figures given in Table 1 show the number of profiles stored on the national DNA database (NDNAD) by police forces in England and Wales at 9 January 2009, broken down by age group. The age groups relate to an individual's age on 9 January 2009 rather than their age on the date when the profile was loaded onto the NDNAD. These figures do not reflect the recent removal of all profiles of children under 10 from the NDNAD; following the Home Secretary's announcement on 16 December 2008 that all profiles belonging to children under 10 would be removed, there are no longer any such profiles on the NDNAD (as at 5 March 2009).

The figures given in Table 2 show the number of profiles stored on the NDNAD by police forces in England and Wales at 9 January 2009, broken down by ethnic appearance (Table 2). Ethnic appearance is based on the judgment of the police officer taking the sample as to which of six broad ethnic appearance categories the person is considered to belong. “Unknown” means that no ethnic appearance information was recorded by the officer taking the sample.

The figures given in Table 3 show the number of profiles stored on the NDNAD by police forces in England and Wales at 9 January 2009, broken down by gender. “Unassigned” means that the police officer who took the sample did not record the individual's gender.

Information on the religion of individuals whose profiles are stored on the NDNAD is not recorded.

The number of profiles is not the same as the number of individuals. This is because some of the profiles stored on the NDNAD are replicates. Replicate profiles arise when the same person has their profile loaded onto the NDNAD on more than one occasion (this may be because the person gave different names, or different versions of their name, on separate arrests, or because of upgrading of profiles). It is estimated that 13.3 per cent. of profiles held on the NDNAD are replicates and therefore the number of individuals on the NDNAD is approximately 13.3 per cent. less than the number of subject profiles; an estimate of the number of individuals in each category has been included in the tables. The presence of replicate profiles on the NDNAD does not impact on the effectiveness and integrity of the database.

Table 1: England and Wales profiles broken down by age (at 9 January 2009)

Current age

Subject profiles

Estimated individuals

Under 101

149

142

10-15

131,353

113,883

16-17

200,597

173,918

18-20

453,821

393,463

21-24

729,674

632,627

25-34

1,563,022

1,355,140

35-44

1,104,436

957,546

45-54

610,289

529,121

55-64

248,339

215,310

65and over

98,971

85,808

Age unknown

389

337

Total

5,140,940

4,457,195

1Since these figures were obtained all profiles belonging to children aged under 10 have been deleted from the NDNAD (as at 5 March 2009).

Table 2: England and Wales profiles broken down by ethnic appearance (at 9 January 2009)

Ethnic appearance

Subject profiles

Estimated individuals

Unknown

297,673

258,082

Asian

282,397

244,838

Black

398,867

345,818

Chinese, Japanese other SE Asian

33,510

29,053

Middle Eastern

39,358

34,123

White—North European

3,989,622

3,459,002

White—South European

99,513

86,278

Total

5,140,940

4,457,195

Table 3: England and Wales profiles broken down by gender (at 9 January 2009)

Gender

Subject profiles

Estimated individuals

Male

4,039,500

3,502,247

Female

1,062,340

921,049

Unassigned

39,100

33,900

Total

5,140,940

4,457,195