§ Mr. David StewartTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his Department's proposals to prevent DNA samples being obtained from the public without consent. [66871]
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§ Ms Blears[holding answer 4 July 2002]: It is a general legal and ethical requirement for a health professional to seek consent before starting to treat or examine a patient, which would include the obtaining of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) samples. The position is laid out clearly in the Department's reference guide to consent for treatment and examination.
There are exceptions to the principle of consent for certain uses of DNA samples, for example the obtaining of non-intimate DNA samples by the police for use in the prevention, detection or investigation of a crime.
The human genetics commission's report "Inside Information" has recommended a new criminal offence of the non-consensual or deceitful obtaining or analysis of genetic information for non-medical purposes. The Government are still considering this report and will respond in due course.