Blunkett revises ID card plans

Thursday, 28 October 2004 12:00 AM

The Home Office has pulled back from plans to combine a nationwide compulsory identity card with passports and driving licences.

Home Secretary David Blunkett is to opt for a stand alone ID card directly linked to a central database of names and address.

The Government says ID cards are a vital tool in the fight against illegal immigration and terrorism.

The ID card scheme will collate biometric data including scans of the iris and face and the fingerprints for all 59 million people in the UK. The cards will eventually be compulsory to have, though not to carry.

In an official response to the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee's inquiry into the scheme, which previously said the Government plans were "poorly thought out," Mr Blunkett argued the scheme would be better administered by a single agency, which would carry out a "single, standard verification service" for Government departments to check the identity of cardholders.

"When cost, implementation and risk considerations are assessed together, we now think the option of a free-standing card is more attractive", the Home Office said.

"Our plans to bring in a national ID card scheme lie at the heart of our work to ensure that the UK can meet the challenges of a changing world. Biometric ID cards will provide a simple and secure means of verifying identity," Mr Blunkett argued.

A Bill to introduce ID cards is widely expected to be included in the Queen's Speech on November 23rd.

From 2007-2008, all new passport applicants will get a new biometric passport and a separate ID card.

The Home Office says the first national ID card in Britain for more than 50 years will cost between £1.3-3.1 billion, and the public will be expected to contribute to the cost of their ID card.

Mark Oaten, home affairs spokesman for the Liberal Democrat Party, voiced concern that the public would be left to shoulder the bill: "It appears that when you next renew your passport, you will have no choice but to spend £35 on a stand-alone ID card, on top of a £73 charge for the passport. The cost to the public seems to escalate with every announcement.

"On top of our existing concerns about the card's ability to tackle crime and terrorism, there is increasing evidence to suggest that biometric technology is not as foolproof as the Government claims.

"At the very least, ministers should find out if the technology works before committing us to ID cards."

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