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'Bad news on ID cards buried' David Hughes The Government was today accused of "burying bad news" over the announcement of the rising cost of the ID card scheme. Figures revealed by the Home Office today - as Tony Blair announces he is to stand down as Labour leader - showed the controversial project will cost more than £5 billion. At Commons questions, shadow treasury minister Mark Hoban said: "This is clearly a good day to bury bad news and that's why the report on the cost of the ID card scheme has been published today, nearly a month late and in breach of the law." He said Treasury Chief Secretary Stephen Timms had revealed in a Commons answer that "the Treasury has yet to approve the expenditure" for the programme.
Mr Hoban said: "Has approval now been given or is it the case that once the Prime Minister and Home Secretary are out of the way, the Chancellor will follow our advice and scrap the scheme that he once backed?" Mr Timms said the procedure was "precisely the same" as for other major projects. "Before substantive procurement begins, Treasury approval needs to be given - and it will be," he said. Home Office figures showed the costs over 10 years were estimated to be £5.31 billion from 2006 to 2016, compared with £4.91 billion in the last calculation. A further, separate estimate said the scheme would cost £5.55 billion over the 10 years from 2007 to 2017. ---------------------------------------------------
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