Identity Cards Bill

I have listened with great care to the debate and a number of useful issues have been raised as a result of it. At one point when I was listening to some of the more fervent contributions, I had a great deal of sympathy with the Committee. When legislation is drafted it is sometimes difficult to see how it will work in practice and to understand how people will perceive and measure it. I was particularly drawn to the point made by the noble Baroness, Lady Carnegy of Lour, who was getting her mind around how the provision would work in practical terms—people receiving information and letters and being called for interviews and so forth. My guess is that, in real terms, the scheme will be much more user-friendly than the noble Lord, Lord Thomas of Gresford, made it feel. I understand why he wants to make it feel that way because he has a legitimate point. He is opposed to ID cards for a range of arguments that I personally, the Government and Ministers at large disagree with. He is entitled to his view. He advocates his case well and makes interesting interventions and contributions from that perspective. In the end, we have to choose to disagree with him because we are introducing the scheme.