Crime: Genetics
Home Department
Written answers and statements, 30 April 2008
Keith Vaz (Leicester East, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of crimes solved as a result of a DNA sample being on the national DNA database.
Meg Hillier (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Identity), Home Office; Hackney South & Shoreditch, Labour)
It is estimated that over the period April 1998 to March 2007, there have been approximately 240,000 detections in which a DNA match was available and/or played a part in solving the crime. A breakdown of this figure by year is given in the following table. Figures for the 2007-08 financial year are not yet available.
| Number of detections in which a DNA match was available or played a part April 1998 to March 2007 | |||
| Detected crimes in which a DNA match was available | Additional detections arising from DNA match( 1) | Total detected crimes in which a DNA match was available or played a part | |
| 1998-99 | 6,151 | n/a | 6,151 |
| 1999-00 | 8,612 | n/a | 8,612 |
| 2000-01 | 14,785 | n/a | 14,785 |
| 2001-02 | 15,894 | 6,509 | 22,403 |
| 2002-03 | 21,098 | 12,717 | 33,815 |
| 2003-04 | 20,489 | 15,899 | 36,388 |
| 2004-05 | 19,873 | 15,732 | 35,605 |
| 2005-06 | 20,349 | 19,960 | 40,309 |
| 2006-07 | 19,949 | 21,199 | 41,148 |
| Total | 147,200 | 92,016 | 239,216 |
| n/a = Not available. (1) Additional detections may result from the original crime with the DNA match due to the identification of further offences through forensic linkage or through admission by the offender. On average, each 'crime detected in which a DNA match was available' now results in a further 1.06 crimes being detected. | |||