Identity Cards Bill

My Lords, I beg to move that the Commons amendments and reasons be now considered. Moved accordingly, and, on Question, Motion agreed to."      COMMONS AMENDMENTS AND REASONS" [The page and line references are to Bill 28 as first printed for the Lords.] Motion A 1 Clause 1, page 1, line 3, at beginning insert ““Subject to section (Commencement: report on costs and benefits),”” 68 Clause 45, page 39, line 12, at beginning insert ““Subject to section (Commencement: report on costs and benefits),”” 69 Page 39, line 12, after ““section”” insert ““, section (Commencement: report on costs and benefits),”” 70 After Clause 45, insert the following new Clause— ““Commencement: report on costs and benefits       (1)   No provision of this Act, except sections brought into force until the Secretary of State has laid before Parliament a report in accordance with subsection (2) and that report has been approved by the House of Commons.       (2)   The report shall contain— (a)   a detailed estimate of the revenue and capital costs arising from this Act (““the cost estimate””); and (b)   a statement of the expected benefits of this Act.       (3)   The cost estimate shall cover costs incurred by the bodies specified in subsection (6) and shall comprise— (a)   a statement in the format of resource accounts as defined in the Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000 (c. 20); (b)   a statement of cash expenditures; (c)   a statement setting out the material assumptions that have been made in preparing the cost estimate.       (4)   The cost estimate shall include— (a)   the actual costs incurred in the period from 26th April 2004 to the date to which the cost estimate is prepared; and (b)   the costs that are estimated to be incurred during a period of 10 years after the date to which the estimate is prepared or such longer future period as shall be determined by the Secretary of State.       (5)   The cost estimate shall be analysed into each of the financial years ending 31st March covered by the cost estimate.       (6)   The bodies referred to in subsection (3) are— (a)   all Government departments or agencies; (b)   any other person who carries out functions under this Act; and for the avoidance of doubt it is hereby declared that ““Government departments or agencies”” includes any Northern Ireland department and the National Assembly for Wales.       (7)   The cost estimate shall be examined by the Comptroller and Auditor General who shall prepare a report on it and shall lay the report before Parliament.”” The Commons disagree to Lords Amendments Nos. 1, 68, 69 and 70, but propose the following amendment in lieu—< 70A Page 33, line 19, at end insert the following new Clause— ““Report to Parliament about likely costs of ID cards scheme       (1)   Before the end of the six months beginning with the day on which this Act is passed, the Secretary of State must prepare and lay before Parliament a report setting out his estimate of the public expenditure likely to be incurred on the ID cards scheme during the ten years beginning with the laying of the report.       (2)   Before the end of every six months beginning with the laying of a report under this section, the Secretary of State must prepare and lay before Parliament a further report setting out his estimate of the public expenditure likely to be incurred on the ID cards scheme during the ten years beginning with the end of those six months.       (3)   References in this section, in relation to any period of ten years, to the public expenditure likely to be incurred on the ID cards scheme are references to the expenditure likely to be incurred over that period by the Secretary of State and designated documents authorities on— (a)   the establishment and maintenance of the Register; (b)   the issue, modification, renewal, replacement, re-issue and surrender of ID cards; (c)   the provision to persons by the Secretary of State of information recorded in individuals’ entries in the Register.       (4)   If it appears to the Secretary of State that it would be prejudicial to securing the best value from the use of public money to publish any matter by including it in his next report under this section, he may exclude that matter from that report.””