ID Cards Bill re-introduced

Wednesday, 25 May 2005 12:00 AM

The Government has re-introduced its controversial ID Cards Bill into the House of Commons.

Ministers said that the bill contained only "minor" amendments from the one lost in the run up to the general election.

Such changes include giving more power to the scheme's watchdog and closer controls on which government agencies can have access to the stored information.

But, the estimated costs of the scheme have risen to an annual bill of £584 million a year - a cost of £93 per card. This compares to an estimate of £85 per year in November.

Home Office Minister Tony McNulty said: "A secure national identity cards scheme would protect everyone's identity and help prepare the UKfor the challenges of the 21st century. Across the world there is a drive to increase the security of identity documents, to safeguard borders and reduce threats from overseas. The plans set out today will ensure the UK is at the forefront of that drive and making the most of the benefits for our citizens."

Read the full Bill

The Liberal Democrats are strongly opposed to the bill, the Conservatives say they will oppose it unless ministers can conclusively prove that ID cards are needed, and there is disquiet on the Labour benches about the implications for civil liberties.

As such, new Home Secretary Charles Clarke is certain to face a tough ride in getting the bill through the Commons - and the Lords.

The Government says that the introduction of compulsory biometric ID cards will help the fight against terrorism, combat identity fraud, and will also ensure that only those entitled to use state services - such as the NHS - will be able to access them.

Speaking in the Commons earlier this week, Mr Clarke urged MPs to examine the safeguards in the bill.

He said it was "critically important that we do tackle the issues of identity fraud" and called for a "rational debate" on the issues, promising that the information held about people on the cards would not be "substantial".

Responding to the Queen's Speech, Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said that key tests on the cost and function of ID cards had not been met.

"The scheme is so ill-thought out that it is by no means clear that the technology will be foolproof," he said, adding: "It is by no means clear that the costs will be controllable to less than £10 billion."

He also pointed to previous Home Office IT fiascos, adding: "And the point to remember is that if we depend on this system for our security, and it fails, or is subverted, we are far worse off than we were without it."

Civil rights group Liberty called on MPs to stand firm and reject the bill.

Director Shami Chakrabarti said: "The horrendous economic costs of the ID card scheme are clear; the social costs will be with us for decades. Parliament must reject this rehashed ID card bill; a scheme more about political machismo than rational policy."

Liberty argue that the ID card scheme will fail to tackle terrorism or identity fraud and have serious doubts about the system's security, as well as believing that the risks to privacy and freedom from discrimination outweigh any likely benefits.

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