ID Card Scheme Cost Report

In accordance with section 37 of the ID card act, the ID and passport office presented a report to parliament on the costs of the scheme on the same day as the IPCC report into the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes was published.

It's not very enlightening on costs but makes the same tired old false claims about ID cards preventing identity theft, curing immigration and terrorism and all the while simultaneously delivering better government services into the bargin. What a magic system! In various sections there is a get-out clause referring to the uncertainties in estimating costs for such a scheme, which the government will be able to refer back to when the thing goes massively over budget. On page 12 for example:

"There is a significant probability that the estimates will change in the light of further experience."