Ministers' consensus move over DNA

My Account
Logout

Create an Evening Standard Account

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Welcome! Sign in here

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Forgot your password ?

Registration

* indicates fields that are mandatory

Email *

Password *

Confirm Password *

First name *

Surname *

Postcode *

Country *

Mobile phone number

Username *

Gender *

Year of birth *

When you sign up...

You will have access to all our online competitions, discounted offers and can post comments on our site.

You will also receive The Weekender newsletter sent every Thursday - it’s full of fantastic offers and ideas for the weekend. You can update your email preferences in your account page when you log in.

Other newsletters and emails

Homes & Property Newsletter - Yes I want to receive the weekly email with all the latest news on property in the capital

Occasionally we would also like to send you relevant emails detailing specific offers either from ourselves or carefully selected partners. If you would prefer not to receive these then please tick the appropriate boxes below. We will never pass on your details.

I do not want to receive additional offers and information from the Evening Standard

I do not want to receive additional offers and information sent by Evening Standard on behalf of carefully selected partners

Terms and Conditions

* I have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of Evening Standard

Registration

Mail Sent for Registration Confirmation.

A confirmation email has been sent. Please activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent in your mail box.

The Government intends to return to the issue in a new Bill next session, starting next month, following a European Court of Human Rights ruling last year that the present policy of retaining all suspects' data was "blanket and indiscriminate".

Junior Home Office minister Lord Brett explained tonight, during the Bill's committee stage, that the present proposals were being withdrawn in the face of criticism from peers and parliamentary committees.

Ministers had proposed allowing innocent people who are never charged to remain on the database for up to 12 years instead of indefinitely. But this detail would have been dealt with by regulations rather than primary legislation.

Lord Brett, accepting Tory and Liberal Democrat demands to delete the clauses, said: "We accepted the concerns raised by the committees. We accepted the concerns raised by the stakeholders. We accepted the strength of feeling in this House.

"Given that strength of feeling, we thought it was important to move forward if possible with consensus." He agreed that the issue would be "more appropriately dealt with" in a separate Bill.

Tory security spokesman Baroness Neville-Jones, while welcoming the change of heart, warned that it would delay yet further the UK's response to the European court's judgment. The clauses were then deleted without a vote.