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Blunkett pledges to go ahead with ID cards

Blunkett pledges to go ahead with ID cards

The home secretary has announced that he will press ahead with ID cards after a survey showed that 80 per cent of Britons would back the scheme if it was free.

An opinion poll conducted by Mori found that four out of five UK citizens support the idea of carrying ID cards, but few are prepared to pay for them.

David Blunkett, due to publish a draft bill on the proposals next week, insisted that the introduction of the scheme would not be a ‘cock-up’.

A series of cabinet wrangles on introducing the cards have delayed the home secretary and prime minister’s plans. The cards are expected to include biometric data as a security device.

The Mori poll also found that more than half of people were “not confident” that the government would successfully introduce the cards, and only one in five would be willing to pay the suggested £35 fee.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, the home secretary welcomed the poll and acknowledged the public’s lack of confidence in government computer systems, stressing that it was important to take time over the ID cards scheme and ensure it is introduced in the right way.

“I have been the first to admit in the two years we have been dealing with this behind the scenes that we need to get this right, which is why we will have to take our time,” he said.

“We will have to do this incrementally, why at each stage the Office of Government Commerce will do the necessary checks and we are going to get outside expertise in to make sure that this isn’t a cock-up.”

The survey of 1,000 people found that the majority believed ID cards would help reduce illegal immigration, prevent identity theft and cut benefit fraud and said that they did not think that carrying an ID card would infringe civil liberties.

Mr Blunkett said he wanted a national ID scheme to become law before the next general election and stated that he would bring in outside expertise to ensure the system works.

Companies who make ID cards are to give their opinions to the home affairs select committee on what form the cards should take.

The home secretary explained that the cards would probably be free for young people and there would be concessions for the elderly and those on low incomes.

Civil liberties campaigners argue that ID cards would be easy to fake and the database which holds personal information to back up the card would be open to errors and exploitation.

From 2007-08 all new passports and driving licences will include biometric data.