UK Parliament / Open data

Crime and Security Bill

Proceeding contribution from Alan Johnson (Labour) in the House of Commons on Monday, 18 January 2010. It occurred during Debate on bills on Crime and Security Bill.
First, I do not think that that would be proportionate. Secondly, we do not have compulsory vaccinations in this country for similar reasons. The thought of having to hold someone down to take a swab from the inside of their cheek because they were reluctant to give one is something that no serious politician could suggest. However—[Interruption.] The hon. Member for Ashford says from a sedentary position that we do that all the time. I do not know which policies he has been looking at, but we do not hold anyone down to take human material from them. We would not do that, just as other countries would not propose having a compulsory system. What Conservative Members have to explain is the huge disparity and contradiction in their argument. Either there should be a DNA database that has people who are arrested but not convicted on it for a period of time; or, the logic is followed of the argument that the right hon. Member for Haltemprice and Howden (David Davis) has made—that people are innocent until proven guilty. If that is the case, the Conservatives' policy—God forbid—should be the same as that of the Liberal Democrats, not the halfway house they are in at the moment.
Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
504 c32-3 
Session
2009-10
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
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