Westminster should follow Scotland’s example

18/9/07

Margaret Smith MSP has welcomed a report from the Nuffield Council on Bioethics that calls for anyone not convicted of a crime to have their details wiped from the DNA database. 

Commenting, Mrs Smith said: “There is no earthly reason why someone who has committed no crime should be on the database in the first place, yet in England the Government is shoving thousands of innocent people’s DNA details on to the database every month.

“The Liberal Democrats stood up for civil liberties and prevented a similar policy from being introduced in Scotland. Scotland now has a more modest scheme where the DNA of those suspected of a violent or sexual crime can be kept for up to three years .I urge the Westminster Government to consider seriously this report, follow Scotland’s example and remove the details of innocent people from the DNA database.”