The alternative reality inhabited by Gordon Brown became even more evident in today’s PMQs.
The Prime Minister was questioned by David Cameron over the failure of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to deal properly or at all with DNA data relating to 4,000 serious crimes which had been submitted to it by the Dutch police.
The data, in electronic form, was sent to the CPS in January, 2007, but examination of it did not begin until this month. So far, 15 matches have been found. 11 of those whose DNA has been matched are known to have committed offences in the UK.
Mr Brown told the House that the CPS had opened an inquiry, and went on to say:
"The inquiry will cover all the details of what happened. I must tell the right hon. Gentleman that it was possible for the Dutch to ask us to look at our DNA records only because we are keeping full DNA records. The Conservatives opposed that legislation."
Brown's assertion, delivered with his customary petulance, was, in fact, complete nonsense. It was Michael Howard, on his appointment as Home Secretary, who expanded the collection of DNA data as part of a package of measures to tackle rising crime. The Shadow Home Secretary at the time, one Tony Blair, dismissed them as “gimmicks”.
What Gordon apparently doesn’t understand is that it is not the keeping of DNA records that is the issue; it is the level of security with which it is kept and the legal principles that apply to its retention and storage. DNA data, in short, is material of the utmost sensitivity and should be treated accordingly.
In the present case, the data disc apparently lay on the desk of an official in the CPS for more than a year. The level of security applied to its handling was, effectively, zero. That should be a matter of deep concern to anyone, but most particularly to the British Prime Minister.
It would appear however, that the seriousness of the issue is lost on Gordon. He simply doesn’t get it.
The Prime Minister was questioned by David Cameron over the failure of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to deal properly or at all with DNA data relating to 4,000 serious crimes which had been submitted to it by the Dutch police.
The data, in electronic form, was sent to the CPS in January, 2007, but examination of it did not begin until this month. So far, 15 matches have been found. 11 of those whose DNA has been matched are known to have committed offences in the UK.
Mr Brown told the House that the CPS had opened an inquiry, and went on to say:
"The inquiry will cover all the details of what happened. I must tell the right hon. Gentleman that it was possible for the Dutch to ask us to look at our DNA records only because we are keeping full DNA records. The Conservatives opposed that legislation."
Brown's assertion, delivered with his customary petulance, was, in fact, complete nonsense. It was Michael Howard, on his appointment as Home Secretary, who expanded the collection of DNA data as part of a package of measures to tackle rising crime. The Shadow Home Secretary at the time, one Tony Blair, dismissed them as “gimmicks”.
What Gordon apparently doesn’t understand is that it is not the keeping of DNA records that is the issue; it is the level of security with which it is kept and the legal principles that apply to its retention and storage. DNA data, in short, is material of the utmost sensitivity and should be treated accordingly.
In the present case, the data disc apparently lay on the desk of an official in the CPS for more than a year. The level of security applied to its handling was, effectively, zero. That should be a matter of deep concern to anyone, but most particularly to the British Prime Minister.
It would appear however, that the seriousness of the issue is lost on Gordon. He simply doesn’t get it.
That, too, is a matter of deep concern.
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