Identity Cards Bill

moved Amendment No. 115:"Page 5, line 24, at end insert—" ““(5A)   Any individual who is required to attend at a specified place in accordance with this section may apply to the Secretary of State for reimbursement of his travel expenses, other associated expenses and any loss of earnings resulting from the requirement to attend at a specified place and time, and the Secretary of State, before implementing this section, or laying an order under section 6(1), must lay proposals for a scheme to meet such expenses before Parliament. (5B)   In devising a scheme under subsection (5A) the Secretary of State must have particular regard to the needs of vulnerable and disabled individuals required to attend the specified place.”” The noble Baroness said: In moving Amendment No. 115, I shall speak also to Amendments Nos. 119 and 120, which are probing amendments. I tabled them in response to briefings that I received from the Royal National Institute of the Blind. My intention, when I have heard the Minister’s response, is to refer back to the RNIB to determine whether it feels that any further assurances or answers from the Government could be elicited either on Report or at meetings with the RNIB between now and Report stage. It may be that we can obviate any further amendments on the subject. The Liberal Democrat Amendments Nos. 117, 159 and 174 are grouped with my amendments and cover the broad argument about the kind of assistance that should be given to those who are required to attend enrolment centres. Amendment No. 115 would impose a duty on the Government to ensure that the travel and associated expenses of attending at an enrolment centre should be borne by the Exchequer. The Government would be required to set out the likely costs to Parliament before they are able to implement Clause 5. We will of course look more closely at costs when we get to my noble friend Lady Noakes’ amendment. This looks at a specific aspect of costing. The second part of Amendment No. 115 imposes a duty on the Secretary of State to have particular regard to the needs of vulnerable and disabled people who will be required to attend at an enrolment centre. I recognise that the Minister’s answer to Amendment No. 105 and its group addressed much of that in giving assurances. I will look at Hansard to see whether they will satisfy the RNIB. I realise that the Minister was not seeking to answer this amendment, but he adduced that the Government were trying to do the right thing and said that assistance would be given to different groups. So we need to look at the specifics. Amendment No. 119 requires the Secretary of State to consider the impact that the scheme will have on vulnerable or disabled persons when he designs it. Amendment No. 120 would impose a requirement that when the Secreatary of State informs those who have sight limitations that they must attend an enrolment centre, he must ensure that his order to them to attend is in a form that they can understand. It would be right to put on the record the justification which the RNIB puts forward for these amendments, not only to assist the Government in responding but also to assist other Members of the Committee. The institute points out that there are nearly 10 million disabled people in the United Kingdom. Under Clause 6 the Secretary of State may by order require individuals to attend a registration centre and be entered into the register. This will include disabled people. However, many older and disabled people will not be able to make journeys independently to the registration centres. The RNIB believes that the order needs to set out what assistance would be made available to those unable to make their own way to an enrolment centre either in the form of transport for people with limited mobility or assistance with the costs of arranging transport. The institute makes a strong point. On 20 January of this year, when the previous identity cards Bill was being considered in Committee in another place, the then Minister, Mr Des Browne, said:"““On the question of registering people through home visits, we are conscious that such enrolment must be convenient. We are making provision to register people who live in remote areas or are unfit to travel. However, it would not be appropriate to write a duty to provide such visits into the Bill””—" shades of the Minister’s answer this evening—"““as they are one of a range of options that we are considering. Registering through home visits raises security issues that would need to be overcome””.—[Official Report, Commons Standing Committee B, 20/1/05; col. 175.]" I agree with that. It is an issue that the Government will be required to address, and I know that they are aware of that. The RNIB would welcome from the Government a full update on the assistance they intend to offer to disabled and older people with transport and the costs of transport, or whether they will opt instead for a widespread home registration or mobile enrolment programme, making assistance unnecessary. The justification for Amendment No. 120 is much clearer: it is important that people are readily able to understand the order sent to them to attend at an enrolment centre. Even if the Government offer a variety of dates and times, the format used to make the person aware that they need to attend has to be clear because, as we have said, a civil penalty is hiding in the wings if someone intentionally tries to get round the system. Here we have a whole body of people who may have sight limitations or dyslexia. They would have absolutely no intention of thwarting the will of the Government, but may not readily be able to take on board the directions they are given. I beg to move.