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DNA: Databases

Volume 503: debated on Wednesday 6 January 2010

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 21 October 2009, Official Report, column 1532W, on DNA: databases, how many profiles have been removed from the National DNA database by each police force in each month since 15 October 2009; and if he will make a statement. (309229)

Table 1 shows the number of subject profiles removed from the national DNA database under the Exceptional Case Procedure, i.e. following a request to the chief officer of the responsible police force from the person concerned, in each month from 16 October 2009 to 30 November 2009.

The table covers subject profiles from English and Welsh police forces and the British Transport police.

Table 1: Number of subject profiles removed from the national DNA database by each police force from 16 October 2009 to 30 November 2009

Force

16-31 October 2009

1-30 November 2009

Avon and Somerset

3

0

Bedfordshire

0

0

British Transport

0

0

Cambridgeshire

0

0

Cheshire

0

0

City of London

0

0

Cleveland

0

0

Cumbria

1

2

Derbyshire

0

0

Devon and Cornwall

0

0

Dorset

0

0

Durham

0

0

Dyfed-Powys

0

0

Essex

1

0

Gloucestershire

0

0

Greater Manchester

0

0

Gwent

0

0

Hampshire

0

1

Hertfordshire

2

0

Humberside

0

0

Kent

3

2

Lancashire

0

0

Leicestershire

1

0

Lincolnshire

0

0

Merseyside

0

2

Metropolitan

0

2

Norfolk

1

0

North Wales

0

1

North Yorkshire

0

2

Northamptonshire

1

0

Northumbria

6

1

Nottinghamshire

0

0

South Wales

0

1

South Yorkshire

0

5

Staffordshire

0

0

Suffolk

0

0

Surrey

0

0

Sussex

0

0

Thames Valley

0

0

Warwickshire

0

0

West Mercia

0

0

West Midlands

2

0

West Yorkshire

2

3

Wiltshire

2

0

Total

25

22

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 21 October 2009, Official Report, column 1534W, on DNA: databases, how many new profiles have been added to the National DNA database by each police force in each month since 15 October 2009; and if he will make a statement. (309230)

The figures in Table 1 show the number of subject profiles added to the National DNA database (NDNAD) by English and Welsh police forces and British Transport police in each month between 16 October 2009 and 30 November 2009, broken down by the police force which took the sample.

The number of subject profiles held on the NDNAD is not the same as the number of individuals. A proportion of DNA profiles held on the NDNAD are replicates— that is, a profile for a person has been loaded 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 currently estimated that 13.8 per cent. of subject profiles held on the NDNAD are replicates. The replication rate of 13.8 per cent. should only be applied over the entire database however, as the replication rate for individual police forces varies considerably. The presence of these replicate profiles on the NDNAD does not impact on the effectiveness and integrity of the database.

Table 1: Subject profiles added to the NDNAD

Force

16 to 31 October 2009

1 to 30 November 2009

Avon and Somerset

569

735

Bedfordshire

231

351

British Transport

259

372

Cambridgeshire

203

430

Cheshire

351

481

City of London

65

92

Cleveland

102

403

Cumbria

200

337

Derbyshire

411

497

Devon and Cornwall

345

768

Dorset

191

345

Durham

175

244

Dyfed-Powys

176

302

Essex

593

1,053

Gloucestershire

205

480

Greater Manchester

1,193

1,781

Gwent

255

412

Hampshire

517

954

Hertfordshire

277

479

Humberside

450

496

Kent

610

863

Lancashire

944

654

Leicestershire

162

519

Lincolnshire

169

421

Merseyside

1,116

2,012

Metropolitan

4,385

5,033

Norfolk

190

331

North Wales

192

482

North Yorkshire

139

358

Northamptonshire

187

311

Northumbria

464

837

Nottinghamshire

433

880

South Wales

473

604

South Yorkshire

458

718

Staffordshire

558

807

Suffolk

206

526

Surrey

250

351

Sussex

635

399

Thames Valley

884

1,004

Warwickshire

99

295

West Mercia

254

570

West Midlands

640

1,875

West Yorkshire

690

1,166

Wiltshire

215

439

Total

21,121

32,467