SNP fights Labour's DNA database policies

parliamentary reporter, Computing, Tuesday 20 April 2010 at 17:03:00

But backed by Tory and Lib Dem MSPs

The Scottish National Party run administration in Edinburgh is fighting off a
Labour attempt to force the government to allow Scottish police to keep DNA data
from those suspected of serious violent or sexual crimes for as long as their
counterparts in England and Wales.

Labour members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) are pushing for an amendment
to the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Bill currently under
consideration in the Scottish Parliament's Justice Committee.

The amendment would allow police to retain DNA data of those prosecuted but
not convicted for six years instead of three, as it currently stands. This would
be extendable in individual cases on court application by the police for two
years at a time.

Criminal law issues are devolved to the Holyrood Parliament.

The police in England and Wales are being required to limit the retention of
the data to six years under changes in the law agreed between the parties before
the UK parliament was dissolved for the general election.

The Scottish Labour proposal, strongly resisted by SNP MSPs who are backed by
Tory and Lib Dem members, will be considered again next week but is unlikely to
be approved.

A Scottish government spokesman said current Scottish practice has been
praised by the European Court of Human Rights, which found the English practice
unacceptable.

Full story at http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2261687/snp-fights-labour-dna-database