Liberal Democrat Leader Ming Campbell today raised concerns over the fact that over half of all British black men will soon have their information held on the DNA database.

Ming Campbell said the Government’s insistence on keeping people’s records on a DNA database when they are not charged for an offence could seriously affect community relations.

By 2010 over half of all British black men will find their information held on the database.

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Research conducted by the Liberal Democrats has revealed that the police spent a total of 56 million hours filling in paperwork last year. In a keynote speech to the Police Federation, Liberal Democrat Leader Menzies Campbell said:

“The police have been turned into bureau cops.

“The police should be allowed to get on with what they do best, fighting crime and catching criminals, not wasting millions of hours on paper work each year.

“When I speak to police officers I hear again and again that officers’ time is wasted re-entering the same information on multiple forms.

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To coincide with the Police Federation conference, the Liberal Democrats today released research showing that prison overcrowding has resulted in 20,000 prisoners being held in police cells in the last year at a cost of £2.6 million per month.
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A full inquiry into the 7th July bomb attacks should be held as soon as possible, Liberal Democrat Leader Ming Campbell said today.

Sir Menzies also questioned why the government briefed in the aftermath of the attacks that the bombers were unknown to the security service.

He was speaking after the conclusion of the fertiliser bomb plot trial at the Old Bailey and the revelation that there were links between the accused men and the 7th July bombers.

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In a speech to Muslim community leaders at a Mosque in Birmingham today, Liberal Democrat Leader Menzies Campbell called for an urgent review of stop and search powers, stating that these powers are being overused and alienating minority communities.

Under the Terrorism Act 2000:

• Over 166,894 people have been stopped and searched
• Only 40 people to date have been convicted
• For every person convicted 4170 have been stopped and searched
• For every person arrested 148 have been stopped and searched

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