Genetics: Databases Mr. Wallace To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what contingency plans she has in place in the event of large-scale losses of data from the DNA database. Meg Hillier The operation of the national DNA database is overseen by the custodian, who manages it both through his own staff and through a contract awarded to the Forensic Science Service (FSS), for operation and management of the NDNAD and its IT systems. The FSS is required to demonstrate compliance with specified security requirements, and the NDNAD system is subject to independent security accreditation. Under business continuity planning arrangements for the NDNAD, the data held on it are backed up and could be recovered in the event of loss of data from the database. Mr. Gordon Prentice To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions there have been where the guilt of the person was determined by reference to samples held on the national DNA database, broken down by category of offence. Meg Hillier Information on the number of convictions obtained by reference to DNA is not collected, as convictions are obtained by integrated criminal investigation not by forensic science alone. However, data have been collected since 1998 on detections in which a DNA match was available and/or played a part in solving the crime. It is estimated that over the period April 1998 to March 2008, there have been over 272,000 detections. A breakdown of this figure by year is given in table 1. A breakdown of detections in 2007-08 by crime type is given in table 2. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |Detected crimes in which a DNA match was available|Additional detections arising from DNA match1|Total detected crimes in which a DNA match was available or played a part| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1998-99 |6,151 |n/a |6,151 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1999-2000 |8,612 |n/a |8,612 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2000-01 |14,785 |n/a |14,785 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2001-02 |15,894 |6,509 |22,403 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2002-03 |21,098 |12,717 |33,815 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2003-04 |20,489 |15,899 |36,388 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2004-05 |19,873 |15,732 |35,605 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2005-06 |20,349 |19,960 |40,309 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2006-07 |19,949 |21,199 |41,148 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2007-08 |17,614 |15,420 |33,034 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Total |164,814 |107,436 |272,250 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |n/a = Not available.1 Additional detections may result from the original crime with the DNA match due to the identification of further offences through forensic linkage or through admission by the offender.| | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------- |Crime type |Number| --------------------------------- |Homicide |83 | --------------------------------- |Rape |184 | --------------------------------- |Robbery |617 | --------------------------------- |Other violent crime |849 | --------------------------------- |Other sex offences |64 | --------------------------------- |Drugs offences |321 | --------------------------------- |Domestic burglary |3,443 | --------------------------------- |Other burglary |3,886 | --------------------------------- |Theft from vehicle |2,201 | --------------------------------- |Theft of vehicle |1,379 | --------------------------------- |Criminal damage |3,180 | --------------------------------- |All other recorded crime|1,407 | --------------------------------- |Total |17,614| --------------------------------- Mr. Ruffley To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many requests for information on the national DNA database her Department has received from other countries in 2007-08. Meg Hillier There are three categories of information sought from the national DNA database (NDNAD) by other countries. 1. Searches carried out against the NDNAD of DNA profiles from outstanding serious crimes or for the identification of an unknown deceased person believed to be a United Kingdom national. Reports are issued directly to the United Kingdom National Central Bureau for Interpol (UK NCB), based at the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), as to the outcome of each profile search. There were 727 responses to profile search requests in 2007-08. 2. Requests for the DNA profile held for a subject on the NDNAD, where fingerprints have been provided to the country that the individual currently resides in. Again this is information provided to SOCA. There were 89 subject DNA profiles provided in 2007-08. 3. Database management information. This provides the number of subject and crime scene DNA profile records held on the NDNAD and the number of match reports generated. Countries who do not have a DNA database use this information to demonstrate the success of the United Kingdom Database, to support their case for legislation in their own country for a DNA database. Requestors are directed to the most recent published NDNAD annual report, thus no figures are kept for the numbers of such requests. Mr. Ruffley To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to her Department of maintaining the national DNA database was in 2007-08. Meg Hillier I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) on 14 August 2008, Official Report, columns 1566-67W.