Identity Cards Bill

This Bill is becoming a little confusing, at least for me, and perhaps for the general public as well. I understood, and still do, that the Bill is at present about a voluntary card scheme and voluntary registration on a national register. However, and it is the Minister who has brought this up, we are now talking about a compulsory scheme. That is something quite different. It will be postponed, apparently, but we do not know until when, nor what sort of government or even Parliament we will have in a few years’ time. We do not know what the composition of the House of Commons will be. For all we know, this House may be changed out of all recognition, so that the circumstances of compulsion will be quite different from the circumstances at present for the voluntary scheme. If a person over 16 does not wish to have an ID card and go on to the register voluntarily, he or she need not do so. But if someone goes on to the register, thinking having their name on it is a good idea, but then decides it is not in their interest, will they be able to remove their name from the register? Or is it that, once they have applied to go on to the register, they are on there for good and their fingerprints, eye scan and biometrics are there for all time? If this is a voluntary scheme, they ought to be able to withdraw from the scheme if they find it is not to their advantage and it does not suit them. I hope the Minister will be able to answer this important question.