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More National DNA Database controversy - is the Human Tissue Agency investigating ?

Why is the Home Office and the Forensic Science Service tainting public confidence in the DNA database, by retaining samples and data on innocent people, including children, and by conducting sneaky and morally dubious research, without people's prior consent ?

via [ARCH Rights ] - the Observer newspaper and GeneWatch appear to have uncovered a DNA sample retention scandal, whereby LGC, one of the major private companies which works for the Police and the Forensic Science Service, seems to have been creating its own mini-version of the National DNA Database.

Is the Human Tissue Authority investigating LGC ?

Have there been breaches of the Human Tissue Act 2004 section 45 Non-consensual analysis of DNA" ?

There are "excepted purposes" under the Act, but these only apply to the results of DNA analysis, and do not extend to a private sector copy of part of the database, or to the retention of human tissue samples by such a private company.

There also seems to have been FSS research into racial profiling using DNA samples, without individual informed consent, and, presumably, without bothering to collect control samples from the wider population, which has not yet been sucked into the National DNA Database.

According to GeneWatch:

Genetic research on the male Y-chromosome is part of a controversial attempt to predict ethnicity from DNA. This type of research could also inadvertently reveal other genetic characteristics such as a man's risk of infertility.

Again, the Human Tissue Authority should be investigating this unethical secret research.

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