Identity Cards Bill

I too should like to raise a point with the noble Baroness before she finishes her remarks. One of her final comments was that there are ID cards in use across Europe, or words to that effect. Is she aware that no national databases are held in many of those countries? Germany, Italy and Holland do not have national databases. Most cards do not use biometrics, and there are other significant differences from the scheme being proposed here. At Second Reading the noble Baroness mentioned comparability with Europe, but she may find that our scheme will be quite the most—how shall I put it?—severe system existing in Europe.