DNA PLANS ‘UNACCEPTABLE’

Hornchurch and Rainham MP James Brokenshire has accused the Government of “shying away from scrutiny” over retaining DNA samples after new powers for Ministers were added to the Government’s latest crime bill at the last minute. 

Last December European Court of Human Rights ruled that the current blanket and indiscriminate retention of fingerprints, cellular samples and DNA profiles of people suspected but not convicted of offences failed to strike a fair balance between competing public and private interests and violated the European Convention on Human Rights.  But Ministers now want to give themselves the right in advance to make regulations to implement yet to be revealed plans to modify current practice in the light of the judgment with only cursory oversight from Parliament.

Amendments to the Policing and Crime Bill are being sought in advance to give the Home Secretary the right to make regulations on the retention and destruction of photographs, CCTV images, fingerprints, impressions of footwear as well as DNA samples without the need for a full debate in Parliament and without giving any indication of what they might be.

Shadow Home Affairs Minister James Brokenshire told a committee of MPs on Thursday that the proposals were “utterly unacceptable” adding that if the Government insisted on taking this approach, the Opposition would “oppose it tooth and nail”.  Commenting James said:

"It is so typical of this Government that having received a judgment restricting their database state where everyone is treated as a potential suspect, they use it as an opportunity to give more powers to Ministers with less powers of scrutiny.  It isn't acceptable that these fundamental issues of freedom and privacy can be dealt with by Ministerial edict after the event on the vague promise of a Government White Paper sometime soon.

“The European Court said that there was a need for greater openness and accountability around the governance of DNA data and the destruction of fingerprints and samples.  The Government should act on this rather than shying away from scrutiny which would be the effect of their proposals.”

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