Lib Dems launch fight against DNA database

Lib Dems challenge DNA database

Wednesday, 11, Jun 2008 12:01

The Liberal Democrats have launched a parliamentary battle against the government's DNA database.

In a ten minute rule bill due to be debated in the Commons today, Lib Dem work and pensions spokesperson Jenny Willott will call for all innocent people whose DNA has been added to the database to have the information cleared.

There are currently one million people who have not been convicted of any crime with their information on the database.

"It is a complete disgrace that one million innocent people are trapped on the DNA database with almost no chance of getting themselves removed," Ms Willots said.

"Innocent citizens have every right to demand that their details are removed, particularly as this government has shown itself incapable of managing data properly."

Changes to the regulations surrounding DNA retention were instigated during Tony Blair's time as prime minister. Previously those people found innocent or whose cases were dismissed had the DNA taken when they were arrested destroyed.

But changes to the law in 2004 meant the DNA was kept on the database regardless of the outcome of the case.

The move incensed civil liberties campaigners but the issue has so far failed to gain the same traction as ID cards.

Home Office figures from 2006 showed 5.24 per cent of the British population is on the database, with an unrepresentative percentage of those individuals being from minority groups.