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By e-mail to [FOI #762 email]
Our Reference: 42113
15th July 2008
Dear Mr Washington,
I am writing with reference to your request for information regarding the National
DNA Database, made under section 1(1) of the Freedom of Information Act, dated
and received by the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) on 19th June
2008.
You asked for the following information:
1. How many samples are in the database?
2. How many people had their DNA sampled while under 18?
3. How many people had their DNA sampled while under 16?
4. How many people had their DNA sampled but were released without charge?
5. How many people had their DNA sampled, were charged, not acquitted in
court?
In response to your request we are able to provide you with the following
information.
1. How many samples are in the database?
The National DNA Database (NDNAD) holds both DNA profiles derived from samples
taken from known individuals (referred to as subject sample profiles) and also DNA
profiles derived from samples left at unsolved crime scenes from unknown
individuals (referred to as crime scene sample profiles).
National Policing Improvement Agency
As at 25/06/08 there were 5,187,700 subject sample profiles retained on the
NDNAD.
This figure does not equate to the actual number of individuals on the NDNAD; the
number of subject profiles on the NDNAD is higher than the number of individuals
because some of the profiles held are replicates. Replicates arise from samples
being taken from the same subject on more than one occasion for example where a
person gave different names, or different versions of their name, on separate
arrests or where a Police Force chooses to resample them to improve the
discriminating power or evidential value of the sample.
As at 25/06/08 there were also 330,609 crime scene sample profiles retained on
the NDNAD.
2. How many people had their DNA sampled while under 18?
As at 25/06/08 of the 5,187,700 subject sample profiles retained on the NDNAD,
1,091,898 were aged under 18 when they were loaded to the NDNAD. Again due to
the presence of some replicate samples from the same individuals being on the
NDNAD this does not equate to the actual number of individuals aged under 18.
3. How many people had their DNA sampled while under 16?
Of the 5,187,700 subject profiles retained on the NDNAD, 615,852 were aged under
16 when they were loaded to the NDNAD. Again due to the presence of some
replicate samples from the same individuals being on the NDNAD this does not
equate to the actual number of individuals aged under 16 when loaded to the
NDNAD.
4. How many people had their DNA sampled but were released without charge?
5. How many people had their DNA sampled, were charged, not acquitted in court?
The NDNAD does not hold information on the arrest and criminal histories of the
individuals from whom DNA samples are taken. Data on the arrest and conviction
histories of persons with a profile on the DNA Database is held on the Police
National Computer (PNC) but is not routinely available. The main function of the
PNC is to support operational policing and the investigation of crime; it is not an
information database for statistical purposes.
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© NPIA (National Policing Improvement Agency) 2007
National Policing Improvement Agency
We are therefore unable to provide any information on the numbers of people
whom have had their DNA sampled but were released without charge and whom
have had their DNA sampled and were charged and not acquitted in court.
However, some data on the number of persons on the NDNAD who have no
conviction, caution etc has been obtained from the PNC in the past, mainly for
research purposes. This involves the writing of a special programme or script to
obtain the relevant data. The process of writing, testing and running the script is
costly and can take several days.
The last report ran to obtain information on the numbers of people on the NDNAD
whom have committed no offence was run on 31/03/08.
It is not possible to give a precise figure for the number of persons with a DNA
profile on the NDNAD whom have committed no offence as some relevant
conviction and caution records have been weeded from the PNC.
Data obtained from the Police National Computer (PNC) on 31 March indicates that
3,832,986 (of the 4,116,713) persons had a record retained on PNC. Of these,
3,259,347 persons had a conviction, caution, formal warning or reprimand recorded
on the PNC (79% of persons on the NDNAD sampled by forces in England and
Wales); and 573,639 persons (14% of persons on the NDNAD sampled by forces in
England and Wales) had no current conviction, caution, formal warning or
reprimand recorded on PNC. The PNC records for the other 283,727 persons (7% of
persons on the NDNAD) had been removed from the PNC for various reasons, for
example, their conviction and caution records had been weeded after 5-10 years,
the person had been acquitted or proceedings were discontinued.
Please note this information is for people sampled by English and Wales forces only
and not the whole of the NDNAD.
Further statistical information relating to the NDNAD is published in the National
DNA Database Annual Reports which are available for download on the Home Office
web-site at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/science-research/using-science/dna-
database/.
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We take our responsibilities under the Freedom of Information Act seriously but, if
you feel your request has not been properly handled or you are otherwise
dissatisfied with the outcome of your request, you have the right to complain. We
will investigate the matter and endeavour to reply within 3 – 6 weeks. You should
write to:
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© NPIA (National Policing Improvement Agency) 2007
National Policing Improvement Agency
Gavin McKinnon
Head of Secretariat
National Policing Improvement Agency
10-18 Victoria Street
London
SW1H 0NN
E-mail: [email address]
If you are still dissatisfied following our internal review, you have the right, under
section 50 of the Act, to complain directly to the Information Commissioner. Before
considering your complaint, the Information Commissioner would normally expect
you to have exhausted the complaints procedures provided by the NPIA. The
Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
FOI Compliance Team (complaints)
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Further information about the NPIA is routinely published on our website at
www.npia.police.uk or through our publication scheme. If you require any further
assistance in connection with this request please contact us at our address above.
Yours sincerely,
Chike Chinukwue
Chike Chinukwue
Information Service Support Manager
National Policing Improvement Agency
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© NPIA (National Policing Improvement Agency) 2007
