Children and the UK database culture

Two reports in the press highlight the database dangers the UK is sleepwalking into.

The Guardian reports (DNA details of 1.1m children on database) that the details of over a million children remain in the national DNA database,  despite over half of these individuals having no criminal convictions.

The figures, revealed in a parliamentary answer to the Liberal Democrats, show that 1.09 million DNA profiles of people aged under 18 were held on the database with 337,000under 16.

The Met police has added by far the largest number of profiles to the register, 117,000 boys and 33,000 girls. The second biggest number is in the West Midlands force area, 49,000 and 17,000 respectively.

Last year, the European Court of Human Rights ruled against the Government's policy of retaining DNA profiles of individuals found not guilty of any crime: despite this, the collection of DNA data on unconvicted people continues to grow.

The Times reports (Parents urged to guard children's data) that the Independent Schools Council is recommending that parent should ask for their children's data to be "shielded" in the Government's ContactPoint database.

David Lyscom, chief executive of the ISC, wants schools to write to all parents warning them that ContactPoint "will put some children at risk through data theft or loss". The ISC also warns parents that the database will contain such poor-quality data that it may create a "misleading or unhelpful" impression of their child.

ContactPoint is a £224million child-protection directory that contains the names, addresses, dates of birth, GPs and schools of all 11 million people aged under 18 in England. It will also hold the names and contact details of any professional, such as a social worker or mental health specialist, working with a child.

ContactPoint is one of the databases that will be linked up if the Coroners Bill is passed.  Clause 152 of this bill enables the linkage of databases on instruction from Ministers.  

And given the appalling data security record of the Civil Service, Government Ministries and other agencies, who would want their details passed around between Government Departments?