Identity Cards Bill

I do not have difficulty with the principle that if you are opening a bank account you have to identify yourself. But in considering this matter and the safeguards that the Minister says exist in the Bill, I noted the advice he gave me firmly yesterday that I should read the assessment of awareness and demand for the identity cards scheme that his department has undertaken and which has been conveniently placed in the Library. It is a long document, and some of it is fairly heavy weather—no doubt the noble Lord, Lord Gould, who is a great expert and enthusiast for this kind of survey is familiar with it. I noted one paragraph that seems relevant. A great deal of the evidence is not simply concerned with the convenience of individuals but addresses the convenience of service users. One paragraph reads:"““Identity Service Users strongly support the Identity Cards Scheme and will be endorsing this support, by verifying identities predominantly through ““front offices”” such as a bank branch, a retail outlet etc (59 % of all verification transactions), combining a number of different types of verifications when the card-holder presents him/herself with the ID card, 87% anticipate undertaking visual card inspection, 41% anticipate visual card inspection in combination with a PIN; 45% anticipate visual card inspection in combination with biometrics and 25% anticipate visual card inspection with the added option of a digitally enlarged photograph of the card-holder appearing on a computer screen””." If I go to a bank to open an account for the first time, I have no difficulty going through those sorts of procedures. But I am a little shaken by the idea that every time I go into Marks & Spencer on Oxford Street, or some other retail outlet, someone may ask me to produce my identity card, and that it may appear on a screen in this way, that every visit I make to a retail outlet will then be recorded, and the fact that the inquiry has been made will be available to others. It seems to me that while there are certain transactions for which people may reasonably seek this kind of identification, we need to be a little concerned at the thought that apparently it will not be personal convenience that is considered a priority but the convenience of retail outlets and other users.