More than 100,000 people, including children as young as 10, will be asked to provide saliva tests and DNA samples in a new annual survey of the lives, behaviour and beliefs of people in the United Kingdom.
The UK Household Longitudinal Study will replace the long-running British Household Panel Survey. It will be the most expensive and ambitious survey of its kind in the world, costing an initial £15m and covering 40,000 households.
'The UK is undergoing considerable socio-economic change,' said Professor Nick Buck from the Institute for Social and Economic Research at Essex University, which is developing the study. 'We have an ageing population, increasing diversity of ethnic background and rising levels of instability in both working careers and family life. This survey will enable researchers to obtain unprecedented understanding of diverse experiences of the population over time, linking evidence about parents and children, following individuals through time and observing their experiences.'
But the plan has been denounced by civil rights campaigners. 'I would not let my DNA details be taken in this way,' said Richard Clayton, the barrister representing the rights group Liberty in its fight to prevent police from keeping DNA samples of suspects later cleared of wrongdoing.
'My principal concern would be how clearly people are informed that their involvement in this study is voluntary and that, even if people do agree to take part, they are absolutely clear about the extraordinary amount of personal information that can be gleaned from such samples.'
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