Identity Cards Bill

I do not think that our arguments were different in that debate but I am grateful for the noble Earl’s support on the matter that we are now discussing. The Government are often attacked for overloading Bills and legislation with far too many unnecessary words and excess verbiage. The noble Lord, Lord Peyton, frequently makes that point and is to be congratulated on encouraging us to keep things simple. However, if we were to accept the amendment suggested by the noble Lord, Lord Phillips, any other legislation that dealt with a similar process of data collection and retention would then have to have exactly the same formulation in it. The relevant measure is clear in the Data Protection Act and, as the Bill is drafted, the point that the noble Lord, Lord Phillips, wants to ensure applies to this legislation is implied.