Britain's government has extended the timeframe for a review into which biometric samples, including DNA, can be retained by the authorities. In a legislation document revealed on 6 October, the government stated that its Protection Of Freedoms Act 2012 covering Destruction, Retention And Use Of Biometric Data was to be extended for a year.The extension is necessary because London's police service has not finished a review of the biometric material – and it is concerned that some material may impact onnational security issues.”The Metropolitan Police Service, who are completing this review on behalf of national Counter Terrorism policing, have made good progress in reviewing this material but will not have completed the review by the expiry of the transitional period on 31st October 2015.”This instrument therefore extends the transitional period for a further year until 31st October 2016 to provide sufficient extra time for the completion of this review. It is considered necessary to extend this transitional period to rule out the possibility of being required to destroy material in respect of which an NSD [national security determination] may otherwise have been made”.Last December, a British biometrics watchdog warned that foreign criminals are using a legal loophole to have their DNA and fingerprint records wiped from UK police databases.In an annual report, Alastair MacGregor QC, the commissioner for the Retention and Use of Biometric Material, stated that action must be taken to end a state of affairs that “puts the UK public at unnecessary risk”. The commissioner wrote that biometric samples which could play a crucial role in detecting crime cannot be retained indefinitely on prolific criminals who have committed offences abroad and then come to Britain. Writing in response to the report on 2 March, Lord Michael Bates said that DNA profiles and fingerprints taken from those with foreign convictions can be retained only if certain conditions are met. The EU also limits the right to request foreign conditions broadly to current investigations or a threat to public security, added Bates.However, he added that “This Government has widened the cases in which information can be retained on the PNC [Police National Computer] beyond that agreed by the previous government ߪ There will therefore be more situations in which the foreign conviction is available to the police.” The UK government will also consider legislation that extends the types of arrest following which police can retain biometric data such as DNA and fingerprints, added the statement.
UK extends transition period for biometric data law
