News story
31st January, 2001
DNA Bill Makes Progress
The Criminal Justice and Policing Bill, which contains
measures to allow DNA samples to be retained with the
consent of donors, last night cleared its first hurdle in
the House of Commons. The measure on DNA was included in
the Bill as a result of a campaign by Robert and Gill
Smith, parents of murdered Chipping Sodbury teenager
Louise Smith, and supported by Northavon MP Steve Webb.
During the inquiry into Louise’s murder, over 4,500
DNA samples were voluntarily given by local men, but the
law as it stood at the time required all of these samples
to be destroyed after the inquiry, even if those who gave
the samples would have consented to their retention. The
new law would allow the samples to be used in future
enquiries (for example, to eliminate people from the
enquiry) if consent was given.
Steve Webb told MPs in the House of Commons last night
about the enquiry into Louise’s murder and paid
tribute to the campaign which Robert and Gill Smith had
run. He said that the cost of gathering the 4,500 samples
over a period of more than a year had been approaching a
quarter of a million pounds. Because of the way the law
stood at the time, all of these samples were destroyed,
and therefore all this time and money would have to be
spent again if ever another inquiry was launched. The MP’s
contribution was described by Home Office Minister
Charles Clarke as “a powerful and moving speech”
when he would up the debate. The Bill will now be
considered in detail in a small Committee of MPs and will
return to the full House of Commons in March. It will
then need to be considered by the House of Lords,
although it is likely that a General Election will delay
its passage onto the Statute Book.
Steve Webb said:
“It was an honour to stand in the House of Commons
and welcome the inclusion in the Bill of a measure for
which Robert and Gill Smith had campaigned and which
almost 10,000 local people had called for. Although the
progress of the Bill is likely to be interrupted by an
Election, I hope that a new Parliament will quickly bring
this measure into law.”
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