Identity Cards Bill

I thank the noble Lord, Lord Selsdon, for his earlier letter. So intricate were the issues raised that it is taking the researchers some time to respond to it in full. The second letter was handed to me only as I took my seat, but the noble Lord has explained his amendment so fully that it will serve only as elucidation. I also thank him for that. Although I understand its probing nature, the amendment is not necessary. The Passport Service conforms to the International Civil Aviation Organisation—ICAO—regulations when formatting names in a passport, as it has to ensure that it is a valid travel document. It is our intention that identity cards will follow the same convention. Identity cards will be issued to British nationals and they will also be valid for travel. Indeed, if UK passports are designated under Clause 4, as currently anticipated, passports and identity cards will be issued as part of the same process and on the basis of a single application form. It would not be possible to request a passport in one name and an identity card in another. Thus the principle behind the amendment is already accounted for in our current planning. However, we do not wish to place any unnecessary restrictions in the Bill. Should other documents be designated under the Bill it may be neither convenient nor appropriate to restrict the formatting of names to the manner used in the passport. In consideration of these points, I hope the noble Lord, Lord Selsdon, is satisfied. In answer to the noble Lord, Lord Phillips of Sudbury, about which name will be proposed, I can say that the system will follow very much the same lines. Because the identity card is a travel document, the name used will have to comply with the ICAO criteria. I understand what the noble Countess said about not everyone having a passport, but 80 per cent of the population do. We currently comply with the regulations and that does not appear to have caused any difficulties. Names are fully explained in the appendix to the letter that I sent from my private office to all noble Lords last Friday, 9 December. In that letter I have tried to go through many of the points which were of concern to noble Lords, but I am sure not everyone will have had an opportunity to read it in detail. Somewhat unusually, it contains about 30 pages, so I know that it is comprehensive. It is available in e-mail. I can certainly e-mail it again or provide hard copy if anyone does not have it, but, as this Committee will go on for a little time and we will have the opportunity to enjoy ourselves even further on Wednesday, I am sure that some of the issues I raise in the letter will come up then.