Police to continue to hold DNA of innocent people: Via Politics | The Guardian .

Profiles to be kept for six years under revised bill

Terror suspects' details could be held indefinitely

Chief constables are to carry on refusing requests to delete the DNA profiles of arrested people released without charge, while a fresh political battle is waged over how long the details should remain on the database.

Home Office ministers confirmed they want to see the DNA profiles of innocent people kept on the national database for six years, after failing to persuade parliament to back a longer period of up to 12 years for the most serious offences.

But senior Labour backbenchers, alongside Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, made clear tonight that they did not believe the government climbdown on DNA went far enough.

It emerged that ministers are advocating a more draconian approach in the case of those arrested under terrorism legislation or national security provisions; their DNA profiles will in future be kept indefinitely.

Ministers are expected to introduce their revised package of measures on the DNA database as part of a policing and crime bill in next week's Queen's speech. In the case of those aged under 18, DNA profiles collected in connection with serious offences will also stay on the database for six years but will be kept for only three years in cases involving minor offences.

The plan to retain the DNA profiles of terrorist suspects indefinitely could draw in some protesters arrested under counter-terrorism legislation.

Ministers believe, however, that the number covered by the provision will only be in the hundreds. The proposal is more onerous than the original package, which proposed a 12-year limit for terrorism suspects who are freed without charge or later cleared.

The new DNA regime will apply in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and these time limits only apply to the innocent. Adults convicted of any offence remain on the database for life.

The shadow home secretary, Chris Grayling, said the Tories would continue to fight the DNA proposals and that they wanted to see the Scottish model adopted under which DNA profiles are kept for up to five years in serious violent and sexual cases only. The profiles are destroyed immediately after someone is released after being held for a minor offence.

Chris Huhne for the Liberal Democrats said the proposals were little better than the previous package. Keith Vaz, Labour chairman of the Commons home affairs select committee, warned they did not go far enough to protect the innocent.

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