Further written evidence to be reported to the House
Counter-Terrorism Bill
12:00 pm
Gareth Crossman: The point of principle is that we would much rather see any information-sharing system on a statutory rather than a non-statutory basis, for various reasons including human rights compliance. To be prescribed by law is an important step in something that has the potential to be extremely invasive. We have no issue of principle with the idea of information-sharing powers—including the DNA-sharing powers that are contained in the Bill—being placed on a statutory basis.
However, in a way you have identified where our concerns might lie, particularly in relation to DNA. The current national DNA database, which is operated by the police, serves a single purpose, and that single purpose is crime detection. By allowing the security services to have a broader remit for national security purposes, the concept becomes rather more nebulous. It includes crime detection, but is not limited to that. One of our concerns is that when mass data retention has taken place—at present the national DNA database has 4.5 million samples—it is always possible that the uses of that database will be extended beyond crime detection and prevention. This is the first statutory instance where there will be the power for other purposes to be in place. My suggestion would be to limit the security services to the same role as that of the police in relation to sample-sharing powers.