Identity Cards Bill

I do not rest my case on it but the very identification of the individual through a national registration card system in itself would give the Revenue some means of identifying those people who should be paying taxes. Clause 1(4) (b) states:"““for the purposes of the prevention or detection of crime””." That in itself partially answers the noble Lord. The fact that some people are able to trade outside the tax system has implications for corporation tax. I am sure that my noble friend Lord Barnett, who is a very experienced accountant, could speak for many hours on the implications for corporation tax arising from the introduction of this system. There are also the savings to the Exchequer with regard to the unauthorised use of public services. If my noble friend the Minister is driven down the road of producing highly accurate figures of the cost to the state of this scheme, I hope that we will have some evaluation of the benefits to the state in terms of a windfall to the Inland Revenue.