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- -------- Original Message -------- Subject: ID cards in two years as rebellion fails (UK) Date: Tue, 14 Feb 2006 10:02:21 +0000 From: Brian Randell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dave: Here is the (UK) Guardian's coverage of last night's vote in favour of an ID card and central ID registry here in the UK. Cheers Brian - ----- http://www.guardian.co.uk/idcards/story/0,,1709246,00.html >ID cards in two years as rebellion fails > >Concern remains over backbench discipline ahead of further key votes > >Patrick Wintour, chief political correspondent >Tuesday February 14, 2006 >The Guardian > >Millions of British citizens will be >compulsorily required to hold an identity card >and see their biometric details placed on a >central database after the government last night >fended off a backbench rebellion designed to >derail the plan. Anyone applying for passports >or immigration documents will in two years time >be required to apply for an ID card. > >Government whips had been anxious that they >would suffer a fresh Commons defeat, adding to >the sense of a government losing control, only a >fortnight after the surprise reverse on >religious hatred bill. But MPs voted by 310 >votes to 279, a majority of 31, to reject the >Lords demand that ID cards could not be brought >in covertly by making them conditional on >application for a passport. Twenty Labour >backbenchers rebelled, about the same number as >the first time MPs voted on the issue in October. > >The result was greeted with dismay by civil >liberties groups who accused the government of >bludgeoning their backbenchers. The victory was >a relief for Tony Blair ahead of a week in which >he faces a further close vote on outlawing the >glorification of terrorism tomorrow and the >possibly chaotic sight of ministers voting >different ways on a smoking ban today. The prime >minister gave the Labour party a free vote on >smoking after he had been unable to achieve an >agreed cabinet line on the issue. . . . >The main assault on the bill last night came >over claims that the government was covertly >introducing identity cards by making it a >requirement that the British public and foreign >residents living in the UK for more than three >months apply for an ID card when they seek a new >passport with the new biometric data. > >The shadow home secretary David Davis complained >that this represented "creeping covert >compulsion", and the country was "sleepwalking >towards the surveillance state". Mr Davis >claimed that the ID card database would become >"a target for every fraudster, terrorist, >confidence trickster and computer hacker on the >planet". > >Last night, Shami Chakrabarti, director of >Liberty, the civil liberties watchdog, said: >"The government will be relieved but it could >only push this half-baked compromise through. >Support for identity cards continues to wane in >the country. New Labour's poll tax may be beaten >yet." http://www.guardian.co.uk/idcards/story/0,,1709228,00.html >Biometric scans for passports from April > >· ID card vote paves way for detailed national database >· Start of £5.8bn computer procurement project > >Alan Travis, home affairs editor >Tuesday February 14, 2006 >The Guardian > >The final Commons votes last night cleared the >way for the first national identity card scheme >in Britain for 50 years. > >Parliament's approval of ID card legislation >signals the start of a procurement process for >the largest public sector computer project in >Europe, which carries a minimum official price >tag of £5.8bn in running costs over the next 10 >years. > >A debate launched in 1995 by the former Tory >leader Michael Howard, when he was home >secretary, is set to become law. It will >eventually mean that 38 million British citizens >over the age of 16 and resident foreign >nationals who have lived here for more than >three months will have their details registered >on a powerful national identity database. > >The first step will come this April, when a >"biometric" security feature - an electronic >scan of a finger, an iris or the face - will be >included for some of those who renew their >passports. In October a network of 70 >passport/identity card offices will open, where >all first-time passport applicants will be >interviewed. > >Within two years - that is from 2008-09 - the 7 >million people who renew or apply for a passport >will be given a full biometric passport, >possibly containing electronic scans of all >their fingers, thumbs, face and eyes, and have >their details entered automatically onto the >national identity database. In effect, they will >get an ID card by what critics call "creeping >compulsion". > >The front of the card will carry details such as >signature, photograph and nationality, but the >entry on the database will have more than 40 >pieces of information, including previous >addresses, immigration status and unique >identity number. Citizens will have access to >information about who has used their database >entry but ministers say it will not link to >criminal records or other sensitive personal >information such as medical treatment. > >The fee for this new combined biometric >passport/ID card has not been set, but ministers >have cited a cost of £93 each. This could be >offset by charges to the private sector for >verifying customers' IDs. > >A 10-year passport costs £51 and officials say >the cost of the biometric passport will make up >70% of the £93 cited. Critics say the cards will >last five years, not 10, and the scheme could >cost up to £19bn, putting a £300-a-head price >tag on the project. Ministers have said they >will produce a £30 standalone ID card, which >could also be used as a travel document within >the EU. > >In the meantime, Home Office officials will >start to put in place the biggest IT procurement >exercise in the European Union. They will invite >commercial suppliers to manufacture the identity >cards and the chips that will store the >biometric data - as well as the IT >infrastructure to set up the database, the data >hub, and the system of scanners and readers that >will ensure everybody's identity is verified. > >The government has refused to publish a figure >for these set-up costs, saying it would restrict >their ability to gain value for money from >potential bidders. > >The Home Office says that by 2013 it expects >more than 80% of adults to have a combined ID >card/passport. The government will go back to >parliament to introduce primary legislation to >make the scheme compulsory: those who fail to >register could face fines of up to £2,500. - -- School of Computing Science, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK EMAIL = [EMAIL PROTECTED] PHONE = +44 191 222 7923 FAX = +44 191 222 8232 URL = http://www.cs.ncl.ac.uk/~brian.randell/ -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.2 (MingW32) iD8DBQFD8eU7h0VyAToQeqERAvRFAKChqtn4NJ10sgGox605rK4F33nx+ACfeie7 02zO+kYEtRqFBkTdTrqx27s= =YCUs -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- ------------------------------------- You are subscribed as [email protected] To manage your subscription, go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
