Identity Cards Bill

At the moment, subsection (5)(e) enables the Secretary of State to specify the Scottish Executive as a body required to provide verification information and would allow that to happen. If we remove, as has been suggested, subsection (5)(e), the Secretary of State would be disabled from requiring the Scottish Executive to provide information for verification. The noble Baroness will see the difficulties that could immediately arise in that regard. We have a UK Passport Service at the moment and when ID cards come in it will be a UK-wide provision. It is appropriate that, pursuant to subsection (5)(e), the Secretary of State should be able to invite the Scottish Executive to provide verification of the information which is to be entered onto the register. This would ensure that the details of those who have the joy of living north of the Border are correctly recorded.