§ Mr. Barry PorterTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures he is taking to increase the use of DNA testing in the enforcement of wildlife controls. [18835]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordIn my announcement of 20 December,Official Report, columns 1115–16 I promised to keep the House advised of the developments in the use of DNA tests.
The results of research commissioned by the Department and recent successful prosecutions based on DNA evidence have demonstrated the effectiveness of DNA testing as an aid to the enforcement of wildlife controls. We are therefore taking a number of steps to promote and extend its use as part of our commitment to improving the protection of threatened species.
We have today written to all police chief constables in Great Britain giving information about DNA testing, outlining the ways in which it can assist in the investigation of possible offences, and providing advice on its practical application. A copy of this letter has been placed in the Library of the House. My Department is commissioning a study to establish what further guidance and other practical assistance we should provide on testing standards and procedures in this field.
We have allocated £40,000 to finance selective DNA tests to be commissioned by the Department's wildlife inspectorate. The results will provide a means of verifying the information held on the existing bird registration database.
On 20 July, I announced in my reply to the hon. Member for Harborough (Mr. Gamier), Official Report, column 319, that my Department had funded research on the use of DNA testing to identify the parentage of birds. The results of this research are set out in Nottingham university's report "Genetic Variation in Birds of Prey—Phase IV", copies of which were placed in the Library of the House in December last year. As part of this project, the university has developed a number of genetic probes—"single locus probes"—which can be used to analyse blood samples, and greatly simplify the process of DNA fingerprinting. I hope that other laboratories will soon be in a position to use these probes to undertake DNA tests on wildlife to assist in the investigation of possible offences.
The Department also proposes to commission research into the scope for simplifying tests, and using genetic material such as feathers rather than blood.
The Department's working group to review the enforcement of wildlife controls—which I announced on 20 December in my reply to the hon. Member for Taunton (Mr. Nicholson), Official Report, column 1115–16—is examining the use of DNA tests and the application of 1296W other forensic methods. The group will submit its recommendations to me by the end of July.