UK Parliament / Open data

Identity Cards Bill

This mini debate makes me wonder just how practical all this will be. With a high level of limited literacy in the population at large and an incredibly mobile population, I wonder—and this is speaking as a down-to-earth practising lawyer—what level of accuracy one can expect from the population as a whole, especially in relation to these past addresses. When one looks at Clause 30, which is the clause which allows for prosecution for inaccurate information supplied—admittedly it requires mens rea or recklessness—I could imagine that even without the significant minority of people who are going to want to bamboozle the record as regards their past, there will be a sizeable minority of the population who simply will not be capable of understanding the sort of notes that will be put out with the questionnaire. Just consider the questions that have been raised tonight in this place and how much we have been metaphorically scratching our heads. I ask the Minister—not to make difficulties, but in a really practical sense—is this going to work?

About this proceeding contribution

Reference

675 c1171 

Session

2005-06

Chamber / Committee

House of Lords chamber
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