Jo critical of new ID card plans

4.00.04pm GMT Thu 6th Mar 2008

The Home Secretary has been accused of a U-turn over the latest ID card plans

Jo Swinson has criticised the Government's revised timetable for the roll-out of Identity Cards in the UK, announced by the Home Secretary.

In a reversal of previous plans, most passport applicants will no longer forced to pay for an ID card, while passports will start containing fingerprint data three years later than previously planned.

Jo said:

"This latest tinkering with the ID cards roll-out reveals that the UK Government knows public opinion is against the misguided scheme.

"We have seen recently just how incompetent the Government is at keeping our personal information safe. Just a few months ago, the personal details of nearly 10,000 East Dunbartonshire families were among data lost by HM Revenue & Customs.

"ID cards will increase bureaucracy, encourage fraud and will not be effective in tackling terrorism.

"The whole scheme looks increasingly like another expensive IT fiasco. The Government should be scrapping the entire ID card scheme - saving billions of pounds - rather than merely tinkering with it."

Related Link:

Lib Dems - no to ID cards