Identity Cards Bill

I am grateful to all Members of the Committee who have contributed to the discussion on this group of amendments, and to the noble Baroness for her speech. The fact that it was long was entirely right; the issues that she dealt with were important, and the explanation was extremely useful. None the less, I have to share the scepticism of the noble Lord, Lord Peyton. The scale of the operation is unprecedented. The passport office has built up over 50 years, but we are in a wholly different measure of enterprise. I assure the noble Baroness that, once you get biometric information on to the passport and put fingerprints on there as well, the security will be found wanting, as I am afraid that it is on the police records on citizen criminality, for example. They are supposed to be foolproof, but are notoriously permeable. It is worth mentioning that the noble Baroness clung with a touching desperation to the support rendered her by the noble Earl, Lord Erroll. He is the first speaker in the past three and a half hours who has supported the Government on any amendment, which says a little.