Identity Cards Bill

It is a matter of implementation. The noble Lord knows that the changes we have to bring in, not only to comply with the US provisions and the EU provisions, mean that we will have to move to the use of biometrics in our passports. That is happening now. Noble Lords know that the preparation for that is taking place and that next spring we shall start to register facial biometrics on new passports. We propose to extend that, in due course, using the better and more effective additional biometrics that we have discussed over the past few months. That is going to happen incrementally. We must also implement it in a way that makes sense. During the past few months we have talked a lot about the benefits of the Passport Office. It is a proven agency, and it has done remarkably well in achieving a high standard. It has delivered on time and effectively in a way that has generated huge satisfaction among the public. We are introducing this in a sensible and planned way. That is why it is starting now but the implementation will take time. There has been criticism of government agencies and others, during our administration and previous ones, that a scheme was not planned properly and the realities of the implementation were not taken into account. We are not doing that. We are acting in a practical and pragmatic way. That is why I say that the public are entitled to know now that the Government are proposing the ID card scheme and that it will be compulsory. Compulsion to register makes common sense if we are to have a universal scheme and to maximise the benefits that it will bring, ensuring that everyone who is legally entitled can take part. That is why it is important for us to lay all that out. It will be far easier for us all to prove our identity. It will also make it more difficult for the criminal, the terrorist, the fraudster or anyone to use someone else’s identity, or to create an entirely bogus identity, or to create multiple identities. At present, it is far too easy to create false identities and to use those to defraud banks or businesses or to carry out benefit or other frauds on the public services. Before the move to compulsion can take place, the Government will want to be satisfied about a number of things. They will want to be satisfied that the roll-out of the initial phase of the identity card scheme has already delivered significant coverage of the population so that the impact of the compulsion order will only be for a relatively small number of people to register who have not yet obtained an identity card.