SNP fights Labour's DNA database policies

Nationalists have backing of Tory and Lib Dem MSPs

Labour members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) are pushing for an amendment to the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Bill

The Scottish National Party-run administration in Edinburgh is fighting off a Labour attempt to force the government to allow Scottish police to keep DNA data from those suspected of serious violent or sexual crimes for as long as their counterparts in England and Wales.

Labour members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) are pushing for an amendment to the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Bill currently under consideration in the Scottish Parliament's Justice Committee.

The amendment would allow police to retain DNA data of those prosecuted but not convicted for six years instead of three, as it currently stands. This would be extendable in individual cases on court application by the police for two years at a time.

Criminal law issues are devolved to the Holyrood Parliament.

The police in England and Wales are being required to limit the retention of the data to six years under changes in the law agreed between the parties before the UK parliament was dissolved for the general election.

The Scottish Labour proposal, strongly resisted by SNP MSPs who are backed by Tory and Lib Dem members, will be considered again next week but is unlikely to be approved.

A Scottish government spokesman said current Scottish practice has been praised by the European Court of Human Rights, which found the English practice unacceptable.