Identity Cards Bill

At the risk of taking the debate more broadly than I should—the noble Lord tempts me—of course I agree that groups of people are outside the system and I have done so for many a decade. Again, I declare an interest in that I started my early life as a student working during the vacation updating records in tax offices. They were not my father’s, I hasten to add—there was no patriarchal system, but open application. I could certainly see even then that broad swathes of people were trying to operate outside the system. That is even more apparent when people bring in those from overseas and get them to work in unsafe conditions while not being part of the tax take. There is a different point here. Would such people be brought within the protection of the Inland Revenue system if they had an ID card? I return to the point that it depends what information is held on them and what access the Government say the Inland Revenue will have to that information. Until I know that, I cannot answer the noble Lord, but in many senses I am with him in wanting to reduce fraud on the Inland Revenue. I do not think that this is the way to do it but I wait to hear from the Government.