ID card legislation consultation

The Home Office has launched a 12 week consultation on secondary legislation to introduce identity cards.

"A consultation has been launched, paving the way for the next step of the government's national identity scheme.

The introduction of the first identity cards for British citizens moved forward today as the government began a 12-week consultation (new window) on the finer detail of the scheme's next phase.

The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) (new window) has invited comment on secondary legislation needed to ensure the first cards for British citizens become a reality and are issued to airside workers and a number of volunteers at the end of 2009."

Update: The NO2ID folks have issued a press release.

"After years of little more than hot air from a sequence of Home Secretaries, we're finally getting to see the fine detail [1] of what "ID cards" will really mean to the average person. It may be quite a shock to those who haven't been paying attention.

It is not just the sheer amount of personal information that you will be required to surrender – a wake-up for any remaining who thought this was a simple card – it is the threats that will be used to force compliance. You could have £1000 penalties sent to you by e-mail [2] if IPS thinks you've been bad – and why might they think that?

If you fail to turn up at a time and place of their choosing; refuse to be fingerprinted, photographed or hand over documents (e.g. birth or marriage certificates); fail to tell them you've moved house for 3 months.

And anything that *they* reckon is "deliberate or reckless" provision of incorrect information could lead to 2 years in prison. Welcome to a lifetime of state identity control...

Phil Booth, NO2ID [3] national coordinator said:

"So the state 'managing' your identity boils down to telling them everything there is to know about you, under threat – and coughing up time and again for the privilege.

"This must be a wake-up call for everyone who bought the line that ID was just a simple card."

-ENDS-

Notes for editors:

1) 'Identity Cards Act Secondary Legislation – A Consultation' can be found on the IPS website:

http://www.ips.gov.uk/identity/downloads/NIS_Legislation.pdf

2) Only the first official warning need be by letter, and that will give you just a fortnight to comply.

3) NO2ID is the UK-wide non-partisan campaign against ID cards and the database state. See http://www.no2id.net/dbstate.php for a list of 'database state' initiatives that NO2ID is actively opposing.

4) Other dubious 'highlights' include:

• a tax on marriage – women who change their name will have to buy a new card;

• those without bank accounts won't be able to get ID – you can only pay by credit or debit card, or cheque;

• the homeless will be able to nominate a park bench as their 'address'"