As with most things involving Whitehall, it looks as though the Great Test Drive is somewhere between anarchic and shambolic. Nevertheless, the role of the Secret State is clear enough in the carte blanche powers apparent in the 2020 Coronavirus Act.
Provision 24 of the Act is clear evidence of, at the very least, using the excuse of Coronavirus to collect yet more ID information on all of us.
In accordance with any unnamed security situation (and anti-terrorism acts going back 35 years) DNA profiles may be retained indefinitely……’before being destroyed’. But as the only time-limit is “indefinitely”, GCHQ or whoever can always drum up an excuse and hang on to them. This is the thin edge of a very fat wedge. Indeed, sub-section 2 adds ‘The Secretary of State may make regulations extending, for up to six months, the period for which the fingerprints and DNA profiles may be…
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