Genetics: Databases

Mr. Grieve
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 10 September 2008, Official Report, column 1866W, on genetics: databases, what proportion of detected crimes in 2007-08 in which DNA evidence was available or played a part were crimes in which the offender had a prior conviction recorded on the Police National Computer.

Jacqui Smith
Information on the number of crimes detected in 2007-08 in which DNA was available, or played a part, and in which the offender had a prior conviction recorded on the Police National Computer (PNC), is not available from the National DNA Database (NDNAD) or from police force data collected by the Home Office on forensic activity and related detections. The NDNAD holds DNA profiles taken from persons arrested for a recordable offence but does not hold data on their criminal histories; this information is held on the PNC.