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Concessions planned on ID cards Ministers are expected to say identity cards would become compulsory only if a separate Act of Parliament were passed. The government has already promised Parliament a vote on making the cards compulsory but has conceded to Lords' demands for the extra safeguard. Peers also defeated the government by saying the ID scheme could not go ahead until the full costs were known. Ministers are not expected to accept that demand but are giving some ground ahead of a vote on Monday. They will publish amendments to the controversial Identity Card Bill on Friday in an attempt to ease its passage in the face of opposition from the Tories, Lib Dems and some Labour MPs.
The government has resisted pressure for it to reveal the full costs of setting up the schemes, saying it could jeopardise sensitive negotiations. But ministers are expected to promise to give MPs updates on the costs every six months, once the initial procurement process is complete. Anybody getting a new British passport from 2008 will also get an ID card and have their biometric data, including fingerprints and iris scan, put on a national database. But the Lords voted to ensure that entry on the register was only voluntary. Home Office sources say they are not giving way on that issue. But they say there will be a separate Act of Parliament on making the ID cards compulsory for everybody - something ministers still want to happen. 'Listening' A spokeswoman for Home Secretary Charles Clarke denied the moves amounted to a climbdown. "We have listened to the Lords. They put their points and we have listened to them," she said. Shami Chakrabarti, director of human rights campaign group Liberty, said no compulsion was acceptable, including for those renewing passports. "If this scheme is so great people should be able to choose and vote with their feet," she said. ---------------------------------------------------
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