British national identity card

Enabling legislation for the British national identity card was passed under the Identity Cards Act 2006. [ [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts2006/20060015.htm Identity Cards Act 2006] , Office of Public Sector Information, accessed 14 October 2007] The multi-billion pound scheme [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6033687.stm BBC NEWS | Politics | ID card scheme cost put at £5.4bn ] ] has yet to enter procurement. The cards will have a lesser role than the database they are linked to, which is known as the National Identity Register (NIR). The Act specifies fifty categories of information that the NIR can hold on each citizen, [ [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts2006/60015--b.htm#sch1 Identity Cards Act 2006 (c. 15) ] ] including up to 10 fingerprints, digitised facial scan and iris scan, current and past UK and overseas places of residence of all residents of the UK throughout their lives and indices to other Government databases — which would allow them to be connected. The legislation also says that any further information can be added. [ [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts2006/60015--a.htm#3 Identity Cards Act 2006 (c. 15) ] ] The legislation further says that those renewing or applying for passports must be entered on to the NIR. It is expected that this will happen soon after the UK Passport Service, which has now been renamed the Identity and Passport Service (IPS), start interviewing passport applicants to verify their identity. [ [http://www.stornowaytoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=2629&ArticleID=1819772 Webcam interview essential for new passports - Stornoway Today ] ] Various degrees of concern about the scheme have been expressed by human rights lawyers, activists, security professionals and IT experts.

Timescale and implementation progress

On 11 October 2006, the Government announced a timescale described as "highly ambitious" by computer experts. [http://www.vnunet.com/computing/news/2166159/cost-id-card-technology Cost of ID card technology pencilled in at £800m - vnunet.com ] ] The Home Office said they will publish an ID management action plan in the months from November 2006, followed by agreements with departments on their uses for the system. There will be a report on potential private sector uses for the scheme before 2007 Budget.

On 25 September 2006, Home Office Minister Liam Byrne said that "There are opportunities which give me optimism to think that actually there is a way of exploiting systems already in place in a way which brings down the costs quite substantially". [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5377496.stm BBC NEWS | Politics | Identity card cost 'may be cut' ] ]

Emails leaked in June 2006 [ [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2261631,00.html Emails from Whitehall officials in charge of ID cards - Sunday Times - Times Online ] ] indicated that the plan was already in difficulty, with plans for the early introduction of a limited register and ID card with reduced biometrics known as the 'early variant' described as a "huge risk".

The schedule for putting passport applicants' and renewers' details on the National Identity Register (NIR) has not been and may never be announced. Interview offices started opening in June 2007 for new passport applicants and it is not known whether details of (for example) their bank records are being kept and recorded. Fingerprints are not yet being taken and iris scans much later.

Applicants will be able to opt out of having a card issued until 2010, although they cannot opt out of having their details recorded on the NIR. In 2006 it was expected that identity cards would be compulsory for anyone getting a new or renewed passport after January, 2010, with registration becoming compulsory for non-UK passport holders resident in the UK by 2013. However on January 22, 2008, the Home Office confirmed two leaks, the first that the timetable may be delayed so that large volumes of cards would not be issued until 2012, and the second that ID cards would be issued to young people from 2010 to 'assist' them in opening a bank account, and also to teachers, social workers and others in 'positions of trust'. A BBC report of the same leaks indicated that this date would be 2009, rather than 2010. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7203740.stm Britons' ID cards 'to be delayed'] , BBC, 2008-01-23]

A further leaked document, published on January 29, 2008, suggests that 'universal compulsion should not be used unless absolutely necessary... due the need for inevitably controversial and time-consuming primary legislation' but that 'various forms of coercion, such as designation of the application process for identity documents issued by UK ministers (eg passports) are an option to stimulate applications in a manageable way'. [Francis Elliott, [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article3261968.ece ID cards may be issued by coercion, says leaked memo] , The Times, 2008-01-28]

In January 2008 the Financial Times reported that Accenture and BAE Systems had withdrawn from the procurement process. Fujitsu Services, CSC, EDS, IBM, Steria and Thales Group were still negotiating framework agreements with the government. [http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/05ec0a02-c9f5-11dc-b5dc-000077b07658.html Companies abandon ID card project] , Financial Times, 2008-01-23]

On 1st August 2008 it was confirmed that Thales Group has been awarded a 4 year contract to work on the design, building, testing and operation of the National Identity Scheme. [ [http://www.ips.gov.uk/identity/press-2008-08-01.asp Thales awarded National Identity Scheme contract] ]

Development

Reasons for introduction

Initial attempts to introduce a voluntary identity card were made under the Conservative administration of John Major, under Home Secretary Michael Howard. At the Labour party conference in 1995, Tony Blair demanded that ‘instead of wasting hundreds of millions of pounds on compulsory ID cards as the Tory Right demand, let that money provide thousands more police officers on the beat in our local communities.’ [ [http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/ld199900/ldhansrd/pdvn/lds05/text/51031-10.htm Lords Hansard text for 31 Oct 2005 (51031-10) ] ] Although included in the Conservative election manifesto, it seems that the proposal was halted by a Labour party victory in the 1997 General Election.

A proposal for ID cards, to be called 'entitlement cards', was initially revived by the Home Secretary at the time David Blunkett following the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001, [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1562427.stm BBC News: A question of identity] , 25 September 2001] but was reportedly opposed by Cabinet colleagues. However, rising concerns about identity theft and the misuse of public services led to a proposal in February 2002 for the introduction of entitlement cards to be used to obtain social security services and a consultation paper, "Entitlement Cards and Identity Fraud", was published by the Home Office on 3 July 2002. [ [http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/entitlement-cards Entitlement Cards and Identity Fraud - A Consultation Paper] , 3 July 2003] A public consultation process followed, which resulted in a majority of submission by organisations being in favour of a scheme to verify a person's identity accurately. However, it was clear that the ability to properly identify a person to their true identity was central to the proposal's operation, with wider implications for operations against crime and terrorism.

In 2003, Blunkett announced that the government intend to introduce a 'British national identity card' linked to a national identity database, the National Identity Register. The proposals were included in the November 2003 Queen's Speech, despite doubts over the ability of the scheme to prevent terrorism. Feedback from the consultation exercise indicated that the term 'entitlement card' was superficially softer and warmer, but less familiar and ‘weasely’, and consequently the euphemism was dropped in favour of identity cards. [ [http://www.archive2.official-documents.co.uk/document/cm60/6019/6019.pdf A Summary of Findings from the Consultation Exercise on Entitlement Cards and Identity Fraud] , page 45, November 2002]

During a private seminar for the Fabian Society in August 2005, Tony McNulty, the minister in charge of the scheme, stated 'perhaps in the past the government, in its enthusiasm, oversold the advantages of identity cards,' and that they 'did suggest, or at least implied, that they might well be a panacea for identity fraud, for benefit fraud, terrorism, entitlement and access to public services'. He suggested that they should be seen as 'a gold standard in proving your identity'. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/4744153.stm Labour admits ID card 'oversell'] , 4 August 2005] Documentation released by the Home Office demonstrated analysis conducted with the private and public sector showed the benefits of the proposed identity card scheme could be quantified at £650m to £1.1bn a year, with a number of other, less quantifiable, strategic benefits - such as disrupting the activities of organised crime and terrorist groups. [ [http://www.identitycards.gov.uk IPS ] ]

Legislative progress

The Identity Cards Bill was included in the Queen's Speech on 23 November 2004, and introduced to the House of Commons on 29 November.

It was first voted on by Members of Parliament following the second reading of the bill on 20 December 2004, where it passed by 385 votes to 93. The bill was opposed by 19 Labour MPs, 10 Conservative MPs, and the Liberal Democrats, while a number of Labour and Conservative members abstained, in defiance of party policies. A separate vote on a proposal to reject the Bill was defeated by 306 votes to 93. Charles Clarke, the new Home Secretary, had earlier rejected calls to postpone the reading of the Bill following his recent appointment.

The third reading of the bill in the Commons was approved on February 11, 2005 by 224 votes to 64; a majority of 160. Although being in favour in principle, the Conservatives officially abstained, but 11 of their MPs joined 19 labour MPs in voting against the Government. The Bill then passed to the House of Lords, however there was insufficient time to debate the matter, and were unable to do a deal with the Conservatives in the short time available in the days before Parliament was dissolved on 11 April, following the announcement of the next General Election on 5 May 2005. [ [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,11026,1452940,00.html#article_continue Casino and ID card bills hit in deal on legislation | Special Reports | Guardian Unlimited Politics ] ]

Labour's manifesto for the 2005 election stated that, if returned to power, they would "introduce ID cards, including biometric data like fingerprints, backed up by a national register and rolling out initially on a voluntary basis as people renew their passports". In public speeches and on the campaign trail, Labour made clear that they would bring the same Bill back to Parliament. In contrast, the Liberal Democrat manifesto opposed the idea because ID cards "don’t work",Fact|date=April 2008 while the Conservatives made no mention of the issue.

After the 2005 election

Following their 2005 election victory, the Labour Government introduced a new Identity Cards Bill, substantially the same as the previous Bill, into the Commons on 25 May. The Conservatives have now joined the Liberal Democrats in opposing the Bill, saying that it does not pass their 'five tests'. These tests include confidence that the scheme can be made to work, and its impact on civil liberties. In December 2005 the Conservatives elected a new leader, David Cameron, who opposes ID cards in principle.

The second reading of the Bill on Tuesday 28 June was passed, 314 votes to 283, a majority of 31.

At its third reading in the Commons on October 18, the majority in favour fell to 25, with 309 votes in favour to 284 against. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4354886.stm BBC NEWS | Politics | Labour survives ID card rebellion ] ] In the Report stage between the readings, the Bill was amended to prevent the National Identity Register database being linked to the Police National Computer.

In early 2006, the Bill was passed through the House of Lords committee stage, where 279 amendments were considered. One outcome of this was a vote demanding that the Government instruct the National Audit Office to provide a full costing of the scheme over its first ten years, and another demanding that a 'secure and reliable method' of recording and storing the data should be found. A third defeat limited the potential for ID cards to be required before people can access public services. [ [http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article339073.ece ID Cards Bill in crisis after peers inflict defeat - UK Politics, UK - Independent.co.uk ] ] On 23 January the House of Lords defeated the government by backing a fully voluntary scheme. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4640900.stm BBC NEWS | Politics | ID cards scheme in Lords defeats ] ]

The committee stage ended on 30 January, and the third reading of the Bill took place on 6 February, after which it returned to the Commons. There, on 18 February, the legislation was carried by a majority of 25, with 25 Labour MPs joining those opposing it. Following the defeats in the Lords, the government changed the Bill in order to require separate legislation to make the cards compulsory, however an amendment to make it possible to apply for a biometric passport without having to register on the National Identity Register database was defeated, overturning the Lords' changes to make the Bill fully voluntary. The Lords' amendment requiring a National Audit Office report was rejected.

The Bill returned to the Lords on March 6, where the Commons amendments were reversed by a majority of 61. [ [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,,1725491,00.html Clarke vows to overturn ID cards defeat | Special Reports | Guardian Unlimited Politics ] ] The defeat came despite ministers warning that the Lords should follow the Salisbury Convention by refraining from blocking a manifesto commitment. Both Conservatives and Liberal Democrats stated generally in 2005 that they no longer feel bound to abide by the convention, while in this specific case several Lords have stated that it would not apply as the manifesto commitment was for implementation on a "voluntary basis" as passports are renewed, rather than being compulsory as passports are renewed.

Subsequent votes:
*March 13: House of Commons - majority of 33 for Government (310 to 277) [ [http://www.epolitix.com/EN/News/200603/ea1d504a-03e5-476e-80f6-58feda5c6d98.htm ePolitix.com - Clarke warns peers on ID cards ] ]
*"March 15: House of Lords - majority of 35 against Government (218 to 183)" [ [http://www.epolitix.com/EN/News/200603/2e98512e-6145-4bfb-925f-73a61ac2b66a.htm ePolitix.com - ID cards remain in parliamentary limbo ] ]
*March 16: House of Commons - majority of 51 for Government (292 to 241) [ [http://www.epolitix.com/EN/News/200603/ed3be327-be2f-462b-86c3-934e8534d6ae.htm ePolitix.com - ID card law sent back to the Lords ] ]
*"March 20: House of Lords - majority of 36 against Government (211 to 175)" [ [http://www.epolitix.com/EN/News/200603/d1aa29f5-4f95-4222-8c43-5ada8eb13eda.htm ePolitix.com - Ministers lose another ID cards vote ] ]
*March 21: House of Commons - majority of 43 for Government (284 to 241) [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4830800.stm BBC NEWS | Politics | MPs stand firm on identity cards ] ]

But on March 29, the House of Lords voted in favour of a new plan with a majority of 227 (287 to 60). [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4856074.stm BBC NEWS | Politics | Deal paves the way for ID cards ] ] Under this scheme, everyone renewing a passport from 2008 will be issued an ID card and have their details placed on the national ID card database. The Government has said that until 2010, people can choose not to be issued a card, though they will still have to pay for one, and still be placed on the database.

The Bill received Royal Assent and entered the statute book on 30 March 2006 as the "Identity Cards Act 2006".

Historical and international comparisons

ID cards during the World Wars

Compulsory identity cards were first issued in the United Kingdom during World War I, and abandoned in 1919. Cards were re-introduced during World War II under the National Registration Act 1939, but were abandoned seven years after the end of that war in 1952, amid widespread public resentment.

Given the long British attachment to civil liberties, the World War I identity card scheme was highly unpopular, though accepted in the light of the prevailing national emergency. It is possible to take a small measure of how the national identity scheme was received from remarks by the historian A J P Taylor in his "English History, 1914-1945", where he describes the whole thing as an 'indignity' and talks of the Home Guard 'harassing' people for their cards. [Id., pp. 563, 599.]

After the war the government of Clement Attlee decided to continue the scheme in the face of the Cold War and the perceived Soviet threat, though it grew ever less popular. In the mind of the public it was more and more associated with bureaucratic interference and regulation, reflected, most particularly, in the 1949 comedy film "Passport to Pimlico". Identity cards also became the subject of a celebrated civil liberties case in 1950. Clarence Henry Willcock, a member of the Liberal Party, refused to produce his after being stopped by the police. During his subsequent trial he argued that identity cards had no place in peace time, a defence rejected by the magistrate’s court. In his subsequent appeal, "Willcock vs. Muckle", the judgment of the lower court was upheld, though in summing up Lord Goddard more or less accepted his defence:

:This Act was passed for security purposes, and not for the purposes for which, apparently, it is now sought to be used. To use Acts of Parliament, passed for particular purposes during war, in times when the war is past, except that technically a state of war exists, tends to turn law-abiding subjects into lawbreakers, which is a most undesirable state of affairs. Further, in this country we have always prided ourselves on the good feeling that exists between the police and the public and such action tends to make the people resentful of the acts of the police and inclines them to obstruct the police instead of to assist them.

Protest reached Parliament, where the Conservative and Liberal peers voiced their anger over what they saw as 'Socialist card-indexing'. After the defeat of the Labour Government in the General Election of October 1951 the incoming Conservative administration of Winston Churchill was pledged to get rid of the scheme, 'to set the people free', in the words of one minister. Cheers rang out when on 21 February 1952 the Minister for Health, Harry Crookshank, announced in the House of Commons that national identity cards were to be scrapped. This was a popular move, adopted against the wishes of the police and the security services, though the decision to repeal the 1939 legislation was, in significant part, driven by the need for economies. By 1952 national registration was costing £500,000 per annum, a huge sum for the day, and required 1500 civil servants to administer it.

International comparisons

If introduced, Britain would become only the sixth common law country to adopt ID cards in peacetime, after Cyprus, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore.

There has been an international move towards the introduction of biometrics into identity and travel documents. The ICAO has recommended that all countries adopt biometric passports, and the United States has made it a future requirement for entering the US under the visa waiver programme. Biometric border control systems have been established in the United States and the United Arab Emirates and the EU is introducing biometric visas. Australia started work on health and social services access card, but the new government elected in the Australian Federal election, 2007 put a stop to it.

In relation to the EU dimension to this issue, during the UK Presidency of the EU in 2005 a decision was made to "agree common standards for security features and secure issuing procedures for ID cards (December 2005), with detailed standards agreed as soon as possible thereafter. In this respect, the UK Presidency has put forward a proposal for EU-wide use of biometrics in national ID cards." [ [http://ec.europa.eu/idabc/en/document/4440/330 IDABC - EU: UK Presidency advances EU-wide ID card standards, data re ] ]

The programme itself could, if ever lawfully allowed, be linked or used in conjunction to other various databases held, or being implemented in the UK, such as the National Programme for IT NHS database, for a centralised system of medical records, and the ContactPoint database for collecting information of persons under the age of 18. The increase in the amount of information held in such a database, if used by a policing or intelligence authority, would be very similar in comparison to some of the ideas proposed in the now defunded Information Awareness Office in the USA. The American program was defunded by congress after concerns of leading to a mass surveillance society, although many of the proposed systems and developments simply moved over to other programs.

The system

Legal requirements

Under the NIR UK Residents with an ID card will be required to fulfil certain functions to manage the card in much the same was as with a passport or driving licence:

*Attend in person to be photographed, have their fingerprints taken and iris scanned. Fact|date=July 2008
*Promptly inform the police or Home Office if a card is lost or damaged, as with a driving licence.
*Promptly inform the National Identity Register of any change of address, as with a driving licence.
*Promptly inform the National Identity Register of significant changes to their personal life, as with a driving licence.

National Identity Register

"For full details of the information that will be contained on the National Identity Register see Information to be contained on the National Identity Register."

Key to the ID Card scheme will be a centralised computer database, the National Identity Register (NIR). To identify someone it will not always be necessary to check their card, since identity could be determined by a taking a biometric scan and matching it against a database entry.

The Home Office has said ID cards will be issued and the National Identity Register will be in place by 2009. The first to receive ID cards will be foreign nationals, in the latter half of 2009, and the Government intends to follow this up by offering young people ID cards in 2010. Ordinary British citizens will then be offered (on a voluntary basis at first, but later in larger volumes) ID cards from 2011 to 2012.

Identity Registration Number

One entry on the NIR is the Identity Registration Number. The Home Office have recognised that a unique identifier is needed as a primary key for the database.

The Home Office Benefits Overview document [ [http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ajwatson/no2id-other/2005-06-27%20Identity%20Cards%20Scheme%20-%20Benefits%20Overview.pdf Identity Cards Scheme - Benefits Overview] , Home Office] describes how the IRN enables data sharing amongst police databases (including the Police DNA database), legal databases, and even corporate databases (including bank and travel operators).

=Penalties= Failure to inform the Government of a change of address or other personal details, or if the card is tampered with, damaged, lost or stolen, will result in a fine of up to £1,000. Fines for refusing to register have been removed until a later Bill; instead passports and/or other designated documents (e.g. driving licence) may be denied. [ [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2006/ukpga_20060015_en_2 Identity Cards Bill ] ] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4053453.stm] [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1537752/andpound1,000-fine-for-failing-to-update-identity-cards.html]

Reaction

The announcement of the scheme has seen a mixed reaction from both the public and from figures connected to terrorism and law enforcement.

Public reaction

::"For a detailed account of Opinion Polls concerning the National Identity Card see Opinion Polls on British National Identity Card."

Over a period of time, public opinion, as measured by opinion polls, appears to have shifted away from support for the scheme towards opposition. This appears to have become more of a concern since the disclosure of the loss of 15 million records by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs.

In 2003, the announcement of the scheme was followed by a public consultation exercise, particularly among 'stakeholder groups'. At March 2003 the government stated that the overall results were:

:in favour: 2606 responses (61%):against: 1587 responses (38%):neutral: 48 responses (1%)

By July 2006, an ICM poll [ [http://www.icmresearch.co.uk/reviews/2006/No2ID%20July/ID%20Card%20Survey.asp ICM Research - Media Centre - Polls ] ] indicated that public support had fallen to 46%, with opposition at 51%.

A further poll by YouGov/Daily Telegraph, published on 4 December 2006, indicated support for the identity card element of the scheme at 50%, with 39% opposed. Support for the national database was weaker, with 22% happy and 78% unhappy with the prospect of having their data recorded. Only 11% trusted the government to keep the data confidential. 3.12% of the sample were prepared to undergo long prison sentences rather than have a card. [ [http://www.yougov.com/archives/pdf/TEL[phone]_4.pdf Survey Report ] ]

Terrorism and crime

Eliza Manningham-Buller, Baroness Manningham-Buller, the former head of Britain's counter-intelligence and security agency MI5 is on record in her support of the introduction of identity cards, as is Sir Ian Blair, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and his predecessor, Sir John (now Lord) Stevens. The Association of Chief Police Officers are also supportive.

However, in November 2005 Dame Stella Rimington, who was Director General of MI5 before Eliza Manningham-Buller, questioned the usefulness of the proposed scheme. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4444512.stm BBC NEWS | Politics | Ex-MI5 chief sparks ID card row ] ] This intervention caused a good deal of controversy amongst supporters and opponents of the scheme, especially as Manningham-Buller stated that ID cards would in fact disrupt the activities of terrorists, noting that significant numbers of terrorists take advantage of the weaknesses of current identification methods to assist their activities.

Lord Carlile was appointed on 11 September 2001 to independently review the working of British Terrorism Act and subsequent anti-terrorist laws. [ [http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/ind/en/home/news/archive/2004/april/terrorism_legislation.textonly.html?] ] Talking on GMTV on 29 January 2006, he expressed his views on the proposed legislation, saying [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/4659228.stm BBC NEWS | UK | UK Politics | ID cards are of 'limited value' ] ] that ID cards could be of limited value in the fight against terrorism but that Parliament had to judge that value against the curtailment of civil liberties. Speaking on the same programme, Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington, former Met Police Commissioner, argued in favour for the need for identity cards, saying they had benefits in tackling serious crimes, such as money laundering and identity theft.

Concerns

Costs

Independent studies including one by the London School of Economics have suggested that costs could be as much as £12 billion to £18 billion. The reliability of this study has been challenged by the Government which disputed some of the assumptions used in the calculations such as the need to retake biometric information every 5 years. The government argued that this assumption had not been supported by any research in the London School of Economics report, and that biometric experts quoted in the LSE reports have sought to distance themselves from its findings. The Government also claimed that the authors of these estimates are established opponents to the scheme and cannot be considered unbiased academic sources. [ LSE: ID Cards - UK's high tech scheme is high risk [http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/pressAndInformationOffice/newsAndEvents/archives/2005/IDCard_FinalReport.htm] ]

Tony McNulty, Home Office minister responsible for the scheme, responded by saying a "ceiling" on costs would be announced in October 2005. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4744153.stm (BBC)] ] There are now indications that the Government is looking at ways of subsidising the scheme by charging other Government Departments, with the implication that this would result in increased charges for other Government services to individuals or businesses. [http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/07/05/id_laundry_analysis/]

After the general election the Home Office stated that it would cost £584 million a year to run the scheme. In October 2006, the Government declared it would cost £5.4bn to run the ID cards scheme for the next 10 years. In May 2007 the Home Office forecast a cost rise of £400m to £5.3 billion, [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6642339.stm BBC News: ID card cost rises above £5bn] ] a figure revised in November 2007 to £5.612bn. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7084560.stm BBC NEWS: ID card scheme 'to cost £5.6bn'] ]

The Government has abandoned plans for a giant new computer system to run the national identity card scheme. Instead of a single multi billion pound system, information will be held on three existing, separate databases. [cite news
last =
first =
coauthors =
title =Giant ID computer plan scrapped
work =BBC News
pages =
language =
publisher =British Broadcasting Corporation
date =2006-12-19
url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6192419.stm
accessdate =2007-12-22 ]

Effectiveness

David Blunkett himself stated that "ID Cards won't stop terrorism", however he does support the introduction of identity cards. His successor, Charles Clarke, said the same in the aftermath of the 7 July 2005 London bombings, [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4663155.stm BBC NEWS | Politics | ID cards 'wouldn't stop attacks' ] ] but claimed that they might help identify the perpetrators. The existence of ID cards in Spain did not prevent the Madrid train bombings. The existence of a single definitive identity register may make it easier for people to assume a false identity. Fact|date=March 2007

Ethnic minorities

The Government's Race Equality Impact Assessment [ [http://www.identitycards.gov.uk/downloads/Identity_cards_Bil_Race_Equality.pdf pdf] ] indicates significant concern among ethnic groups over how the Police would use their powers under an Identity Cards Act, with 64% of black and 53% of Indian respondents expressing concern, particularly about the potential for abuse and discrimination. In their January 2005 report [ [http://83.137.212.42/sitearchive/cre/downloads/id_cards.doc doc] ] on the Bill, the Commission for Racial Equality stated that the fear of discrimination is neither misconceived nor exaggerated, and note that this is also an ongoing issue in Germany, the Netherlands and France.

The CRE are also concerned that disproportionate requirement by employers and the authorities for ethnic minorities to identify themselves may create a two tiered structure amongst racial groups, with foreign nationals and British ethnic minorities feeling compelled to register while British white people do not. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3809373.stm BBC NEWS | Politics | Race watchdog warns on ID cards ] ] [ [http://83.137.212.42/sitearchive/cre/Default.aspx.LocID-0hgnew09w.RefLocID-0hg00900f006.Lang-EN.htm Identity Cards Bill, House of Lords report stage ] ]

According to the CRE, certain groups who move location frequently and who tend to live on low incomes (such as Gypsies, travellers, asylum-seekers and refugees) risk being criminalised under the legislation through failing to update their registration each time they move due to lack of funds to pay the fee that may be charged.

Concerns raised by the Information Commissioner

In a press release on 30 July 2004, [ [http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk/cms/DocumentUploads/ICO%20publishes%20concerns%20on%20identity%20cards%20-%2030.07.04.doc (.doc file)] ] Richard Thomas the Information Commissioner stated thata NIR raise substantial data protection and personal privacy concerns. He sought clarification of why so much personal information needed to be kept as part of establishing an individual's identity and indicated concern about the wide range of bodies who would view the records of services individuals have used. The Commissioner has also pointed out that those who renew or apply for a driving licence or passport will be automatically added to the National Identity Register, so losing the option of not registering. He subsequently stated: "My anxiety is that we don't sleepwalk into a surveillance society ". [ [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1218615_1,00.html Beware rise of Big Brother state, warns data watchdog - Britain - Times Online ] ] In February 2003, on BBC Radio 4's "Today" programme, he warned that ID cards could become a target for identity theft by organised crime.

Human rights

On 2 February 2005, Parliament's Joint Committee on Human Rights questioned the compatibility of the Bill with Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (the right to respect for private life) and Article 14 (the right to non-discrimination), [ [http://europa.eu.int/idabc/en/document/3861/194 IDABC - UK: UK's ID Cards Bill wins parliamentary vote despite Human ] ] both of which are encapsulated with the UK's own Human Rights Act.

Feature creep

Even without new primary legislation, the Identity Cards Act allows the potential scope of the scheme to be much greater than that usually publicised by the Government.

For example, Gordon Brown was reported to be "planning a massive expansion of the ID cards project that would widen surveillance of everyday life by allowing high-street businesses to share confidential information with police databases." [ [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,,1838363,00.html Brown to let shops share ID card data | Politics | The Observer ] ] He apparently described how "police could be alerted as soon as a wanted person used a biometric-enabled cash card or even entered a building via an iris-scan door." [ [http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article1216000.ece ID plans: powers set to widen - UK Politics, UK - Independent.co.uk ] ]

The British ID cards went from 3 functions during World War II to 39 by the time it was abolished. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3731465.stm BBC NEWS | Technology | Opponents take on ID card plans ] ]

Concerns have also been raised following Tony Blair's response to an ID card petition stating that the fingerprint register would be used to compare the fingerprints of the population at large against the records of 900,000 unsolved crimes.

Opposition MPs claim that the use of the biometric data in this way directly breaches promises given during the Commons debate that there would be adequate safeguards preventing the use of ID card data for "fishing expeditions". [ [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/02/20/nidcards20.xml ID cards 'will allow crime fingerprint checks' - Telegraph ] ] [ [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,,2017401,00.html Blair under fire over police access to ID card database | Special Reports | Guardian Unlimited Politics ] ]

Database extent and access

The amount of data which can be recorded on the NIR is unlimited. Home Office forecasts envisage that "265 government departments and as many as 48,000 accredited private sector organisations" would have access to the database, and that 163 million identity verifications or more may take place each year. [http://www.identitycards.gov.uk/library/procurement_strategy_market_soundings.pdf]

Vulnerable individuals

The CRE have also recommended that more work is required to protect the interests of vulnerable individuals. For example, women escaping a violent lover or a forced marriage may be at risk if their previous names or addresses are disclosed.

Identity theft

Tony Blair said "ID cards are needed to stop the soaring costs of identity theft" in May 2005. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4577087.stm BBC NEWS | Politics | Blair defends identity card plan ] ] However, security experts have claimed that placing trust in a single document may make identity theft easier, since only this document needs to be targeted. [ [http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000102&sid=a7DltmImQUYE Bloomberg.com: U.K ] ]

Falsely obtaining such a 'secure' identity becomes very valuable because people are less likely to question its validity; effectively there is a single point of failure. This has happened in Australia, where identity theft has risen above British levels since the introduction of a widely used Tax File Number. Identity theft surrounding the Social Security Number is also a major problem in the USA. However, it can be argued that part of the problem in these countries arises from the "lack" of a national ID card as no positive identification exists which links one to one's unique ID number such as the Social Security Number. It is the lack of such means of identification, not necessarily the existence of the unique number itself, which promotes ID theft since there are no easily available means to verify one's SSN (such as a card with a person's SSN and photograph).

However, othersWho|date=August 2007 claim that such comparisons cannot be directly compared with the introduction of identity cards and point out that such critiques usually offer not any alternative solutions to identity theft as it continues to grow.Fact|date=October 2007

Opponents to the scheme state that in order to apply for the new identity cards, existing documents such as passports will be used to prove identity; however, such identification is proficiently forged, allowing identity thieves posing as someone else to apply for cards. While new applications could be made using false documentation, existing cards and database entries would also be targets. Supporters note that such claims ignore that actual process, which allows for electronic checks of applications rather than a solely paper based system.

The NIR database would make an attractive target for computer criminals. Opponents also claim that any system involving human operators is liable to social engineering attacks, infiltration or bribery or blackmail of staff. Also with such information readily available to staff, the chances of a modern protection racket become realistic to ensure "the integrety of the information" for financial gain for an applicant; a custodial sentence would be unlikely to deter such criminal activity taking place as the assumption, in law is that the state holds accurate information. Supporters claim that there are potential ways of organising working processes to stop such attacks.

Due to the supposed security of the British system, proving that one's identity has been stolen could prove problematic. If a person's biometric information is discovered and exploited by an identity thief the subject has little recourse, since such information by definition cannot be changed or reissued.

Card tampering and forging

In addition to problems affecting the database, there may be the tampering or superficial forging of the actual biometric identity cards. In a recent case in Germany, criminals forged an ID card that included biometric data.cite web|title=ID cards|publisher=Lynne Featherstone|accessmonthday=September 8 |accessyear=2006|url=http://www.lynnefeatherstone.org/column101-identity-cards.htm]

A number of academics also point to problems of removing human interaction from security systems. Such problems can be seen with Chip and PIN credit card systems. [ [http://money.guardian.co.uk/scamsandfraud/story/0,13802,1562682,00.html Fraudsters show how to beat chip and pin | Money | The Guardian ] ] While not a criticism of the technology itself, the work notes that operators cannot simply leave the security up to the technology and must remain vigilant in preventing suspicious behaviour.

Technology

Elsewhere, doubts remain concerning the practicability of the scheme, relying on unproven technologies such as iris scanning, and even the very best system will be liable to a small error rate. In some cases this error rate can disproportionately affect certain ethnic minorities (e.g. Afro-Caribbeans, for iris scanning). Existing government systems are not appropriate for the issuing to UK citizens from 2009.

Opposition campaigns

In May 2006, NO2ID launched the "Renew for Freedom" campaign, [ [http://www.renewforfreedom.org renew for freedom - renew your passport ] ] urging passport holders to renew their passports in the summer of 2006 to delay being entered on the National Identity Register. This followed the comment made by Charles Clarke in the House of Commons that "anyone who feels strongly enough about the linkage [between passports and the ID scheme] not to want to be issued with an ID card in the initial phase will be free to surrender their existing passport and apply for a new passport before the designation order takes effect". [ [http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debate/?id=2006-03-21a.181.2 I beg to move, That this House does...: 21 Mar 2006: House of Commons debates (TheyWorkForYou.com) ] ]

In response, the Home Office said that it was "hard to see what would be achieved, other than incurring unnecessary expense" by renewing passports early. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5016490.stm BBC NEWS | Politics | Home Office questions ID protest ] ] However, it should be remembered that the cost of a passport was set to rise in October 2006 and nearly double once identity cards are introduced.

On 14 November 2007, the NO2ID opposition group called for financial donations from the 11,360 people who had pledged to contribute to a fighting fund opposing the legislation. [ [http://www.no2id.net/pledge/ Calling in NO2ID's pledge "refuse"] , 14 November 2007] The organisation plans to challenge the statutory instruments that will be brought in to enable the ID card scheme. [ [http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/15/no2id_pledge_call/ No2ID calls in pledge cash to 'probe' ID Act's enabling laws] , 15 November 2007]

There have been widespread calls for campaigns of mass civil disobedience, generally urging citizens to refuse to register for an ID card, or to attend compulsory photographic sittings. These calls have been led by prominent public figures including Baroness Williams, Boris Johnson and Nick Clegg. [See the [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7088315.stm BBC News] website for details of both individuals.]

ee also

*Defy-ID opposition group
*Ian Brown - Kiss Ya Lips (No I.D.)
*British passport
*Human rights in the United Kingdom
*Common Travel Area
*Schengen Information System
*Mass surveillance

=References=

External links

* [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts2006/20060015.htm Identity Cards Act 2006]
* [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200506/ldbills/071/2006071.htm Text of the Identity Cards Bill, as amended on Report in the House of Lords on 30 January 2006]
* [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200405/cmbills/008/2005008.htm Text of the Identity Cards Bill, November 2004]
* [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200506/ldbills/028/amend/ml028-iii.htm List of the 279 proposed amendments in the Lords Committee Stage, January 2006]
* [http://www.identitycards.gov.uk British Government website about the scheme]
* [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmbills/111/06111.1-4.html Text of Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill]
* [http://www.passport.gov.uk/downloads/Passport-Interview-Network-May2006_new.pdf PASSPORT INTERVIEWS – PROPOSED NETWORK OF OFFICES] May 2006
* [http://images.thetimes.co.uk/TGD/picture/0,,295266,00.jpgMap of centres] September 2006
* [http://www.debatewise.com/debates/1-id-cards-and-the-national-identity-register-should-be-scrapped Online Debate - ID cards and the National Identity Register should be scrapped ] August 2007

News stories

* 22 November 2007, "BBC", [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7107617.stm Is Brown re-thinking ID cards?]
* 22 November 2007, "BBC", [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7105999.stm Cameron calls for ID cards halt]
* 14 September 2006, "epolitix.com", [http://www.epolitix.com/EN/News/200609/6eb14426-d9a4-473c-b3e8-d7b8454ec6ff.htm Minister defends data-sharing scheme]
* 7 August 2006, "Guardian", [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,,1838754,00.html Hackers crack new biometric passports]
* 14 June 2006, "epolitix.com", [http://www.epolitix.com/EN/News/200606/8ea36546-3f04-4fff-a470-a63009bdff7e.htm Amnesty for illegal immigrants once identity cards in place?]
* 24 May 2006, "BBC", [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5012972.stm Lib Dems back the "Renew for Freedom" campaign]
* 4 April 2006, "The Register", [http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/04/04/early_passport_renewal_blocked/ Passport rule change anticipates ID refusenik sabotage efforts]
* 30 March 2006, "BBC", [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4860642.stm Identity cards will be made compulsory if Labour wins the next election]
* 13 February 2006, "The Daily Mirror", [http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/tm_objectid=16696983%26method=full%26siteid=94762%26headline=exclusive%2d%2ddriver%2did%2dcards%2drow%2dcould%2dlead%2dto%2dblair%2ds%2ddownfall-name_page.html Motorists could soon be forced to carry an ID card]
* 30 January 2006, "BBC", [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/4664142.stm Transsexuals 'to get 2 ID cards']
* 17 January 2006, "The Times", [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,17129-1988998,00.html Peers deal Blair blow over '£19bn cost of ID cards']
* 8 December 2005, "Guardian", [http://technology.guardian.co.uk/online/insideit/story/0,,1661191,00.html A pan-European ID card will make a bad idea even worse]
* 17 November 2005, "BBC", [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4444512.stm Ex-MI5 chief sparks ID card row]
* 18 October 2005, "The Scotsman", [http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=2103982005 Microsoft security officer: ID cards will lead to 'massive fraud']
* 12 October 2005, "The Register". [http://www.theregister.com/2005/10/12/biz_leaders_dislike_id_cards/Business support for ID cards collapses]
* 4 August 2005, "BBC", [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/4744153.stm Labour admits ID card 'oversell']
* 8 July 2005, "BBC", [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4663155.stm Chales Clarke: ID cards wouldn't stop bomb attacks]
* 5 July 2005, "The Register", [http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/07/05/id_laundry_analysis/ "Clarke's ID card cost laundry starts to break surface"]
* 3 July 2005, "The Observer", [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,6903,1520163,00.html Rebels ready to face prison over ID cards: Refuseniks will copy Australian tactics to foil scheme]
* 2 July 2005, Muriel Gray in "The Guardian", [http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1519574,00.html Nobody has nothing to hide: Identity cards will deprive the innocent of one of their most basic rights]
* [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,11026,1516116,00.html "ID cards 'will reveal detail of daily life'"] - Information commissioner warns of surveillance society
* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/idcards/story/0,15642,1377360,00.html December 2004 "Guardian" Legal advice on ID cards kept secret]
* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/idcards/story/0,15642,1375858,00.html December 2004 "Guardian" If you value your freedom, reject this sinister ID card]
* [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,542-1089392,00.html April 2004 "Times" It is right to experiment with identity cards]
* [http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000102&sid=a7DltmImQUYE&refer=uk April 2004 "Bloomberg" Identity Card Will Make Fraud Easier]
* [http://www.statewatch.org/news/2003/jul/26ukid.htm July 2003 "Statewatch" Identity cards in the UK - a lesson from history]
* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/07/04/ncard04.xml July 2002 "Daily Telegraph" £70 ID card to combine passport and car licence]
* [http://society.guardian.co.uk/asylumseekers/story/0,7991,547696,00.html September 2001 "Guardian" ID cards might solve asylum crisis]

Guides

* [http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/pressAndInformationOffice/PDF/IDreport.pdf March 2005 "London School of Economics" An Assessment of the UK Identity Cards Bill and its Implications]
* [http://www.bowgroup.org/harriercollectionitems/IDCards.pdf February 2005 "Bow Group report" The Case Against ID Cards, by Rt Hon Peter Lilley MP]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3127696.stm December 2004 "BBC" Identity card Q&A]
* [http://www.electricinca.com/idcards/index2.html June 2004 "Electricinca" An analysis of the British national identity card]
* [http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/05/05/complete_idcard_guide/ May 2004 "The Register" Everything you never wanted to know about the UK ID card]
* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/theissues/article/0,6512,1047505,00.html November 2003 "Guardian" Q&A]
* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2001/09/25/nid25.xml September 2001 "Telegraph" The case for and against identity cards]
* [http://www.trevor-mendham.com/civil-liberties/identity-cards/index.html "Trevor Mendham" UK ID Cards - the case against]

Opposition groups

* [http://www.no2id.net No2ID: UK campaign against ID Cards and mass surveillance]
* [http://www.defy-id.org.uk Defy-ID]
* [http://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk/privacy/id-cards.shtml Liberty - human rights concerns]
* [http://www.reform.co.uk: Reform]
* [http://www.biometricidentitycards.info: idFolly]
* [http://haidc.omweb.org Haringey Against Identity Cards]