NationMaster - Encyclopedia: British national identity card

Enabling legislation for the British national identity card was passed under the Identity Cards Act 2006.^[1] The multi-billion pound scheme ^[2] has yet to enter procurement. The cards will have a lesser role than the database they are linked to, which is known as the National Identity Register (NIR). The Act specifies fifty categories of information that the NIR can hold on each citizen ^[3], including up to 10 fingerprints, digitised facial scan and iris scan, current and past UK and overseas places of residence of all residents of the UK throughout their lives and indices to other Government databases - which would allow them to be connected. The legislation also says that any further information can be added.^[4] Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... German identity card with a KINEGRAMÂ® A piece of identification (ID) is a document designed to verify aspects of a persons identity. ... Enabling legislation for the British national identity card was passed under the Identity Cards Act 2006 [1]. The multi-billion pound scheme [2] has yet to enter procurement. ... Look up Procurement in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A database management system (DBMS) is computer software designed for the purpose of managing databases. ... Residency is the act of establishing or maintaining a residence in a given place. ...

The legislation further says that those renewing or applying for passports must be entered on to the NIR. It is expected that this will happen soon after the UK Passport Service, which has now been renamed the Identity and Passport Service (IPS), start interviewing passport applicants to verify their identity.^[5] Various degrees of concern about the scheme have been expressed by human rights lawyers, activists, security professionals and IT experts. The Identity and Passport Service is an Executive Agency of the Home Office in the United Kingdom which became operational on 1 April 2006 after the passing of the Identity Cards Act 2006. ... Enabling legislation for the British national identity card was passed under the Identity Cards Act 2006. ...

Timescale and implementation progress

On October 11, 2006, the Government announced a timescale described as "highly ambitious" by computer experts.^[6] The Home Office said they will publish an ID management action plan in the months from November 2006, followed by agreements with departments on their uses for the system. There will be a report on potential private sector uses for the scheme before 2007 Budget. is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The modern concept of Small Office and Home Office or SoHo , or Small or Home Office deals with the category of business which can be from 1 to 10 workers. ... 67 die and about 300,000 people are affected by floods in Ethiopias Somali Region of Ogaden after the Shabelle River bursts its banks. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

On September 25, 2006, Home Office Minister Liam Byrne said that "There are opportunities which give me optimism to think that actually there is a way of exploiting systems already in place in a way which brings down the costs quite substantially".^[7] is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Emails leaked in June 2006^[8] indicate that the plan is already in difficulty, with plans for the early introduction of a limited register and ID card with reduced biometrics known as the 'early variant' described as a "huge risk".

The schedule for putting passport applicants' and renewers' details on the National Identity Register (NIR) has not been and may never be announced. Interview offices started opening in June 2007 for new passport applicants and it is not known whether details of (for example) their bank records are being kept and recorded. Fingerprints are not yet being taken and iris scans much later.

Applicants will be able to opt out of having a card issued until 2010 although they cannot opt out of having their details recorded on the NIR. Identity cards will be compulsory for anyone getting a new or renewed passport after January 1st 2010. Registration will become compulsory for non-UK passport holders resident in the UK by 2013. The Home Office currently estimates ID cards will be available from 2009.^[9]

Development

Reasons for introduction

Initial attempts to introduce an identity card were made under the Conservative administration of John Major, under Home Secretary Michael Howard. At the Labour party conference in 1995, Tony Blair demanded that ‘instead of wasting hundreds of millions of pounds on compulsory ID cards as the Tory Right demand, let that money provide thousands more police officers on the beat in our local communities.’^[10] This proposal was halted once the Conservatives lost the 1997 election. For other persons named John Major, see John Major (disambiguation). ... The Rt Hon. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... For other people of the same name, see Tony Blair (disambiguation) Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born May 6, 1953)[1] is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, Leader of the Labour Party, and Member of Parliament for the constituency...

A proposal for ID cards, to be called 'entitlement cards', was initially revived by the Home Secretary at the time David Blunkett following the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attack on the New York World Trade Center,^[11] but was reportedly opposed by Cabinet colleagues. However, rising concerns about identity theft and the misuse of public services led to a proposal in February 2002 for the introduction of entitlement cards to be used to obtain social security services and a consultation paper, Entitlement Cards and Identity Fraud, was published by the Home Office on 3 July 2002.^[12] A public consultation process followed, which resulted in a majority of submission by organisations being in favour of a scheme to verify a person's identity accurately. However, it was clear that the ability to properly identify a person to their true identity was central to the proposal's operation, with wider implications for operations against crime and terrorism. The Secretary of State for the Home Department (the Home Secretary) is the chief United Kingdom government minister responsible for law and order in England and Wales; his or her remit includes policing, the criminal justice system, the prison service, internal security, and matters of citizenship and immigration. ... David Blunkett (born 6 June 1947) is a British Labour Party politician and has been Member of Parliament for Sheffield Brightside since 1987. ... The World Trade Center on fire The September 11, 2001 attacks were a series of coordinated terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. ... This article is about the state. ... For other uses, see World Trade Center (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Social security primarily refers to social welfare service concerned with social protection, or protection against socially recognized conditions, including poverty, old age, disability, unemployment and others. ...

In 2003, Blunkett announced that the government intend to introduce a 'British national identity card' linked to a national identity database, the National Identity Register. The proposals were included in the November 2003 Queen's Speech, despite doubts over the ability of the scheme to prevent terrorism. Feedback from the consultation exercise indicated that the term 'entitlement card' was superficially softer and warmer, but less familiar and ‘weasely’, and consequently the euphemism was dropped in favour of identity cards.^[13] German identity card with a KINEGRAMÂ® A piece of identification (ID) is a document designed to verify aspects of a persons identity. ... Terrorist redirects here. ...

During a private seminar for the Fabian Society in August 2005, Tony McNulty, the minister in charge of the scheme, stated 'perhaps in the past the government, in its enthusiasm, oversold the advantages of identity cards,' and that they 'did suggest, or at least implied, that they might well be a panacea for identity fraud, for benefit fraud, terrorism, entitlement and access to public services'. He suggested that they should be seen as 'a gold standard in proving your identity'.^[14] Documentation released by the Home Office demonstrated analysis conducted with the private and public sector showed the benefits of the proposed identity card scheme could be quantified at £650m to £1.1bn a year, with a number of other, less quantifiable, strategic benefits - such as disrupting the activities of organised crime and terrorist groups. ^[15] The Fabian Society is a British socialist intellectual movement, whose purpose is to advance the socialist cause by gradualist and reformist, rather than revolutionary means. ... Anthony James McNulty (born 3 November 1958, London) is a politician in the United Kingdom. ... In medicine, a gold standard test is the diagnostic test that is regarded as definitive in determining whether an individual has a disease process. ...

Legislative progress

The Identity Cards Bill was included in the Queen's Speech on November 23, 2004, and introduced to the House of Commons on November 29. Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands reads her countrys Speech from the Throne Queen Elizabeth II reads Canadas Speech from the Throne in 1977 The Speech from the Throne, sometimes referred to by the shorter term Throne Speech, is an event in certain monarchies in which the monarch (or... is the 327th day of the year (328th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Type Lower House Speaker Michael Martin, (Non-affiliated) since October 23, 2000 Leader Harriet Harman, (Labour) since June 28, 2007 Shadow Leader Theresa May, (Conservative) since May 5, 2005 Members 659 Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist Party Sinn FÃ©in... is the 333rd day of the year (334th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

It was first voted on by Members of Parliament following the second reading of the bill on December 20, 2004, where it passed by 385 votes to 93. The bill was opposed by 19 Labour MPs, 10 Conservative MPs, and the Liberal Democrats, while a number of Labour and Conservative members abstained, in defiance of party policies. A separate vote on a proposal to reject the Bill was defeated by 306 votes to 93. Charles Clarke, the new Home Secretary, had earlier rejected calls to postpone the reading of the Bill following his recent appointment. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... A second reading is the state of the legislative process where a draft of a bill is read a second time. ... is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is currently the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Rt Hon. ...

The third reading of the bill in the Commons was approved on February 11, 2005 by 224 votes to 64; a majority of 160. Although being in favour in principle, the Conservatives officially abstained, but 11 of their MPs joined 19 labour MPs in voting against the Government. The Bill then passed to the House of Lords, however there was insufficient time to debate the matter, and were unable to do a deal with the Conservatives in the short time available in the days before Parliament was dissolved on April 11, following the announcement of the next General Election on May 5, 2005.^[16] A third reading is the stage of a legislative process in which a bill is read with all amendments and given final approval by a legislative body. ... This article is about the British House of Lords. ... is the 101st day of the year (102nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The United Kingdom has five distinct types of elections: general, local, regional, European and mayoral. ... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Labour's manifesto for the 2005 election stated that, if returned to power, they would introduce ID cards, including biometric data like fingerprints, backed up by a national register and rolling out initially on a voluntary basis as people renew their passports. In public speeches and on the campaign trail, Labour made clear that they would bring the same Bill back to Parliament. In contrast, the Liberal Democrat manifesto opposed the idea because ID cards don’t work, while the Conservatives made no mention of the issue. Look up manifesto in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... It has been suggested that Marginal constituencies in the United Kingdom be merged into this article or section. ...

After the 2005 election

Following their 2005 election victory, the Labour Government introduced a new Identity Cards Bill, substantially the same as the previous Bill, into the Commons on May 25. The Conservatives have now joined the Liberal Democrats in opposing the Bill, saying that it does not pass their 'five tests'. These tests include confidence that the scheme can be made to work, and its impact on civil liberties. In December 2005 the Conservatives elected a new leader, David Cameron, who opposes ID cards in principle. For the Canadian ice hockey player, see Dave Cameron. ...

The second reading of the Bill on Tuesday June 28 was passed, 314 votes to 283, a majority of 31.

At its third reading in the Commons on October 18, the majority in favour fell to 25, with 309 votes in favour to 284 against.^[17] In the Report stage between the readings, the Bill was amended to prevent the National Identity Register database being linked to the Police National Computer. The Police National Computer (PNC) is a computer system used extensively by law enforcement organisations across the United Kingdom. ...

In early 2006, the Bill was passed through the House of Lords committee stage, where 279 amendments were considered. One outcome of this was a vote demanding that the Government instruct the National Audit Office to provide a full costing of the scheme over its first ten years, and another demanding that a 'secure and reliable method' of recording and storing the data should be found. A third defeat limited the potential for ID cards to be required before people can access public services.^[18] On the 23rd of January the House of Lords defeated the government by backing a fully voluntary scheme.^[19] This article is about the British House of Lords. ... The National Audit Office (NAO) is an independent Parliamentary body in the United Kingdom which is responsible for auditing central government departments, government agencies and non-departmental public bodies. ...

The committee stage ended on January 30, and the third reading of the Bill took place on February 6, after which it returned to the Commons. There, on February 18, the legislation was carried by a majority of 25, with 25 Labour MPs joining those opposing it. Following the defeats in the Lords, the government changed the Bill in order to require separate legislation to make the cards compulsory, however an amendment to make it possible to apply for a biometric passport without having to register on the National Identity Register database was defeated, overturning the Lords' changes to make the Bill fully voluntary. The Lords' amendment requiring a National Audit Office report was rejected.

The Bill returned to the Lords on March 6, where the Commons amendments were reversed by a majority of 61.^[20] The defeat came despite ministers warning that the Lords should follow the Salisbury Convention by refraining from blocking a manifesto commitment. Both Conservatives and Liberal Democrats stated generally in 2005 that they no longer feel bound to abide by the convention, while in this specific case several Lords have stated that it would not apply as the manifesto commitment was for implementation on a "voluntary basis" as passports are renewed, rather than being compulsory as passports are renewed. The Salisbury Convention is a constitutional convention in the United Kingdom that means that the House of Lords will not oppose any government legislation promised by its election manifesto. ...

Subsequent votes: The Palace of Westminster, home of the Parliament of the United Kingdom Parliamentary ping-pong (or lutte a la corde) is a phrase used to describe a phenomenon in the Parliament of the United Kingdom, in which legislation appears to rapidly bounce back and forth between the two chambers like...

But on March 29, the House of Lords voted in favour of a new plan with a majority of 227 (287 to 60).^[26] Under this scheme, everyone renewing a passport from 2008 will be issued an ID card and have their details placed on the national ID card database. The Government has said that until 2010, people can choose not to be issued a card, though they will still have to pay for one, and still be placed on the database.

The Bill received Royal Assent and entered the statute book on 30 March 2006 as the Identity Cards Act 2006. // The granting of Royal Assent is the formal method by which a constitutional monarch completes the legislative process of lawmaking by formally assenting to an Act of Parliament. ...

Historical and international comparisons

ID cards during the World Wars

Compulsory identity cards were first issued in the United Kingdom during World War I, and abandoned in 1919. Cards were re-introduced during World War II under the National Registration Act 1939, but were abandoned seven years after the end of that war in 1952, amid widespread public resentment. Opposition reached its peak with the 1951 court case of Willcock v Muckle, after Clarence Henry Willcock refused to produce his identity card. The judge in the case said that the cards were an "annoyance" and "tended to turn law-abiding subjects into law breakers". â€œThe Great War â€ redirects here. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Clarence Henry Willcock was the person in the UK to be prosecuted for refusing to carry an Identity Card. ...

International comparisons

Whilst at least 21 of 27 other countries in the EU have some form of ID card, these are either not compulsory, not biometric or not linked to a national database & unique identifier ^{[citation needed]}.

If introduced, Britain would become only the fifth common law country to adopt ID cards in peacetime, after Cyprus, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. This article concerns the common-law legal system, as contrasted with the civil law legal system; for other meanings of the term, within the field of law, see common law (disambiguation). ...

There has been an international move towards the introduction of biometrics into identity and travel documents. The ICAO has recommended that all countries adopt biometric passports, and the United States has made it a future requirement for entering the US under the visa waiver programme. Biometric border control systems have been established in the United States and the United Arab Emirates and the EU is introducing biometric visas. Australia is looking at introducing a Health and social services access card. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), an agency of the United Nations, codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth. ... Symbol for biometric passports, usually printed on the cover of passports The contactless chip found in British passports A biometric passport is a combined paper and electronic identity document that uses biometrics to authenticate the citizenship of travellers. ... The health and social services access card is a proposed Australian Government non-compulsory health and social services access card. ...

In relation to the EU dimension to this issue, during the UK Presidency of the EU in 2005 a decision was made to: "Agree common standards for security features and secure issuing procedures for ID cards (December 2005), with detailed standards agreed as soon as possible thereafter. In this respect, the UK Presidency has put forward a proposal for EU-wide use of biometrics in national ID cards."^[27]

The system

Legal requirements

National Identity Register

For full details of the information that will be contained on the National Identity Register see Information to be contained on the National Identity Register. National Identity Register According to the published legislation, the database will record the following information for each UK resident: Personal information: full name; other names by which he is or has been known; date of birth; place of birth; gender; principal UK place of residence; every other UK place of...

Key to the ID Card scheme will be a centralised computer database, the National Identity Register (NIR). To identify someone it will not always be necessary to check their card, since identity could be determined by a taking a biometric scan and matching it against a database entry.

The Home Office has said ID cards will be issued and the National Identity Register will be in place by 2009.

Identity Registration Number

One entry on the NIR is the Identity Registration Number. The Home Office have recognised that a unique identifier is needed as a primary key for the database. In database design, a primary key is a value that can be used to identify a unique row in a table. ...

The Home Office Benefits Overview document^[28] describes how the IRN enables data sharing amongst police databases (including the Police DNA database), legal databases, and even corporate databases (including bank and travel operators).

Penalties

Failure to inform the Government of a change of address or other personal details will result in a fine of £1,000. Fines for refusing to register have been removed until a later Bill; instead passports and/or other designated documents (eg driving licence) may be denied. Failure to inform the Government if the card is tampered with, damaged, lost or stolen may result in a prison sentence of up to 51 weeks.^[29]

Reaction

The announcement of the scheme has seen a mixed reaction from both the public and from figures connected to terrorism and law enforcement.

Public reaction

Over a period of time, public opinion, as measured by opinion polls, appears to have shifted away from support for the scheme towards opposition. This appears to have become more of a concern since the disclosure of the loss of 15 million records by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in November 2007 (see 2007 UK Child Benefit data scandal). // The announcement of the scheme followed a public consultation, particularly among stakeholder groups pdf. ... Part of the HMRC complex in Nottingham. ... The 2007 UK child benefit data misplacement occurred in October 2007, when two computer discs owned by Her Majestys Revenue and Customs containing data relating to child benefit went missing. ...

In 2003, the announcement of the scheme was followed by a public consultation exercise, particularly among 'stakeholder groups'. At March 2003 the government stated that the overall results were:

By July 2006, an ICM poll^[30] indicated that public support had fallen to 46%, with opposition at 51%:

A further poll by YouGov/Daily Telegraph, published on December 4, 2006, indicated support for the identity card element of the scheme at 50%, with 39% opposed. Support for the national database was weaker, with 22% happy and 78% unhappy with the prospect of having their data recorded. Only 11% trusted the government to keep the data confidential. 3.12% of the sample were prepared to undergo long prison sentences rather than have a card.^[31] YouGov is a British internet-based market research firm. ... is the 338th day of the year (339th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Terrorism and crime

Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller, the former head of Britain's counter-intelligence and security agency MI5 is on record in her support of the introduction of identity cards, as is Sir Ian Blair, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and his predecessor, Sir John (now Lord) Stevens. The Association of Chief Police Officers are also supportive. Dame Elizabeth (Eliza) Lydia Manningham-Buller, DCB (born 14 July 1948) was Director General (DG) of MI5, the British internal national security agency, from October 2002 until her retirement on 20 April 2007. ... MI-5 redirects here. ...

However, in November 2005 Dame Stella Rimington, who was Director General of MI5 before Eliza Manningham-Buller, questioned the usefulness of the proposed scheme.^[32] This intervention caused a good deal of controversy amongst supporters and opponents of the scheme, especially as Manningham-Buller stated that ID cards would in fact disrupt the activities of terrorists, noting that significant numbers of terrorists take advantage of the weaknesses of current identification methods to assist their activities. Dame is the female equivalent of address to Sir for a British knighthood. ... Dame Stella Rimington in her official photo as Director-General of MI5 Dame Stella Rimington, DCB (born May 1935) was the Director-General (DG) of MI5 from 1992 to 1996. ... Link titleThe head of the Security Service (MI5), the U.Ks internal counter terrorism and counter espionage service. ... MI-5 redirects here. ...

Lord Carlile was appointed on 11 September 2001 to independently review the working of British Terrorism Act and subsequent anti-terrorist laws.^[33] Talking on GMTV on 29 January 2006, he expressed his views on the proposed legislation, saying^[34] that ID cards could be of limited value in the fight against terrorism but that Parliament had to judge that value against the curtailment of civil liberties. Speaking on the same programme, Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington, former Met Police Commissioner, argued in favour for the need for identity cards, saying they had benefits in tackling serious crimes, such as money laundering and identity theft. Alexander Charles Carlile, Baron Carlile of Berriew (born 12 February 1948) is a Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords. ... is the 254th day of the year (255th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... The Terrorism Act 2000 is a current United Kingdom Act of Parliament - An Act to make provision about terrorism; and to make temporary provision for Northern Ireland about the prosecution and punishment of certain offences, the preservation of peace and the maintenance of order. ... GMTV (Good Morning Television) is a national British breakfast television station owned by ITV plc (75%) and The Walt Disney Company (25%). It has held the license for the breakfast Channel 3 franchise since 1993, when it outbid the previous 6am-9. ... is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Concerns

Costs

Independent studies including one by the London School of Economics have suggested that costs could be as much as £12 billion to £18 billion. The reliability of this study has been challenged by the Government which disputed some of the assumptions used in the calculations such as the need to retake biometric information every 5 years. The government argued that this assumption had not been supported by any research in the London School of Economics report, and that biometric experts quoted in the LSE reports have sought to distance themselves from its findings. The Government also claimed that the authors of these estimates are established opponents to the scheme and cannot be considered unbiased academic sources.^[35] Mascot: Beaver Affiliations: University of London Russell Group EUA ACU CEMS APSIA Universities UK U8 Golden Triangle G5 Group Website: http://www. ...

Tony McNulty, Home Office minister responsible for the scheme, responded by saying a "ceiling" on costs would be announced in October 2005.^[36] There are now indications that the Government is looking at ways of subsidising the scheme by charging other Government Departments, with the implication that this would result in increased charges for other Government services to individuals or businesses.^[37] Anthony James McNulty (born 3 November 1958, London) is a politician in the United Kingdom. ... The modern concept of Small Office and Home Office or SoHo , or Small or Home Office deals with the category of business which can be from 1 to 10 workers. ...

After the general election the Home Office stated that it would cost £584 million a year to run the scheme. In October 2006, the Government declared it would cost £5.4bn to run the ID cards scheme for the next 10 years.^[38] In May 2007 the Home Office forecast a cost rise of £400m to £5.3 billion,^[39] a figure revised in November 2007 to £5.612bn.^[40]

The Government has abandoned plans for a giant new computer system to run the national identity card scheme. Instead of a single multi billion pound system, information will be held on three existing separate databases.^{[citation needed]}

Effectiveness

David Blunkett himself stated that "ID Cards won't stop terrorism", however he does support the introduction of identity cards. His successor, Charles Clarke, said the same in the aftermath of the 7 July 2005 London bombings,^[41] but claimed that they might help identify the perpetrators. The existence of ID cards in Spain did not prevent the Madrid train bombings. The existence of a single definitive identity register may make it easier for people to assume a false identity. ^{[citation needed]} Terrorist redirects here. ... The 7 July 2005 London bombings (also called the 7/7 bombings) were a series of coordinated terrorist bomb blasts that hit Londons public transport system during the morning rush hour. ... The 2004 Madrid train bombings (also known as 11-M, 3/11, 11/3 and M-11) were a series of coordinated bombings against the commuter train system of Madrid, Spain on the morning of 11 March 2004, which killed 191 people and wounded over 1700. ...

Ethnic minorities

The Government's Race Equality Impact Assessment^[42] indicates significant concern among ethnic groups over how the Police would use their powers under an Identity Cards Act, with 64% of black and 53% of Indian respondents expressing concern, particularly about the potential for abuse and discrimination. In their January 2005 report^[43] on the Bill, the Commission for Racial Equality stated that the fear of discrimination is neither misconceived nor exaggerated, and note that this is also an ongoing issue in Germany, the Netherlands and France. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Caribbean British. ... An African-American drinks out of a water fountain marked for colored in 1939 at a street car terminal in Oklahoma City. ... The Commission for Racial Equality is a non-governmental organisation in the United Kingdom which tackles racial discrimination and promotes racial equality. ...

The CRE are also concerned that disproportionate requirement by employers and the authorities for ethnic minorities to identify themselves may create a two tiered structure amongst racial groups, with foreign nationals and British ethnic minorities feeling compelled to register while British white people do not.

According to the CRE, certain groups who move location frequently and who tend to live on low incomes (such as Gypsies, travellers, asylum-seekers and refugees) risk being criminalised under the legislation through failing to update their registration each time they move due to lack of funds to pay the fee that may be charged. Languages Romani, languages of native region Religions Christianity, Islam Related ethnic groups South Asians (Desi) The Roma (singular Rom; sometimes Rroma, Rrom) or Romanies are an ethnic group living in many communities all over the world. ... Irish Travellers are a nomadic or itinerant people of Irish origin living in Ireland, Great Britain and the United States. ... Power lines leading to a trash dump hover just overhead in El Carpio, a Nicaraguan refugee camp in Costa Rica Under international law, a refugee is a person who is outside his/her country of nationality or habitual residence; has a well-founded fear of persecution because of his/her...

Concerns raised by the Information Commissioner

In a press release on July 30, 2004,^[44] Richard Thomas the Information Commissioner stated that a NIR raise substantial data protection and personal privacy concerns. He sought clarification of why so much personal information needed to be kept as part of establishing an individual's identity and indicated concern about the wide range of bodies who would view the records of services individuals have used. The Commissioner has also pointed out that those who renew or apply for a driving licence or passport will be automatically added to the National Identity Register, so losing the option of not registering. He subsequently stated: My anxiety is that we don't sleepwalk into a surveillance society .^[45] In February 2003, on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he warned that ID cards could become a target for identiy theft by organised crime. is the 211th day of the year (212th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Richard Thomas is the Information Commissioner of the UK, and has held the post since 2002. ... The Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC) in the United Kingdom, is an independent government authority and reports directly to Parliament. ... Current EU driving licence, German version - front 1. ... For Microsoft Corporationâ€™s â€œuniversal loginâ€ service, formerly known as Microsoft Passport Network, see Windows Live ID. For other types of travel document, see Travel document. ... Mass surveillance is the pervasive surveillance of an entire population, or a substantial fraction thereof. ... old Radio 4 logo BBC Radio 4 is a UK domestic radio station which broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes including news, drama, comedy, science and history. ... Today, sometimes referred to as the Today programme to avoid ambiguity, is BBC Radio 4s long-running early morning news and current affairs programme, which is now broadcast from 6am to 9am from Monday to Friday and from 7am to 9am on Saturdays. ... Organized crime or criminal organizations are groups or operations run by criminals, most commonly for the purpose of generating a monetary profit. ...

Human rights

On February 2, 2005, Parliament's Joint Committee on Human Rights questioned the compatibility of the Bill with Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (the right to respect for private life) and Article 14 (the right to non-discrimination),^[46] both of which are encapsulated with the UK's own Human Rights Act. is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The British Parliament (that is, the Houses of Commons and Lords) has a number of Committees – small numbers of members appointed to deal with particular areas or issues; most are made up of members of the Commons. ... â€œECHRâ€ redirects here. ... â€œECHRâ€ redirects here. ... A Human Rights Act is a piece of shit what a pile of wank legislation that sets out individual rights and freedoms under law. ...

Feature creep

Even without new primary legislation, the Identity Cards Act allows the potential scope of the scheme to be much greater than that usually publicised by the Government.

For example, Gordon Brown was reported to be "planning a massive expansion of the ID cards project that would widen surveillance of everyday life by allowing high-street businesses to share confidential information with police databases."^[47] He apparently described how "police could be alerted as soon as a wanted person used a biometric-enabled cash card or even entered a building via an iris-scan door."^[48]

The British ID cards went from 3 functions during World War II to 39 by the time it was abolished.^[49]

Concerns have also been raised following Tony Blair's response to an ID card petition stating that the fingerprint register would be used to compare the fingerprints of the population at large against the records of 900,000 unsolved crimes.

Opposition MPs claim that the use of the biometric data in this way directly breaches promises given during the Commons debate that there would be adequate safeguards preventing the use of ID card data for "fishing expeditions".^[50]^[51] At Disney World, biometric measurements are taken of the fingers of multi-day pass users to ensure that the pass is used by the same person from day to day. ...

Database extent and access

The amount of data which can be recorded on the NIR is unlimited. Home Office forecasts envisage that "265 government departments and as many as 48,000 accredited private sector organisations" would have access to the database, and that 163 million identity verifications or more may take place each year.^[52] The private sector of a nations economy consists of all that is outside the state. ...

Vulnerable individuals

The CRE have also recommended that more work is required to protect the interests of vulnerable individuals. For example, women escaping a violent lover or a forced marriage may be at risk if their previous names or addresses are disclosed. â€œDomestic disturbanceâ€ redirects here. ... Forced marriage is a term used in the Occident to describe traditional arranged marriages in which one or more of the parties (usually the woman) is married without his/her consent or against his/her will. ...

Identity theft

Tony Blair said "ID cards are needed to stop the soaring costs of identity theft" in May 2005.^[53] However, security experts have claimed that placing trust in a single document may make identity theft easier, since only this document needs to be targeted.^[54] For other people of the same name, see Tony Blair (disambiguation) Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born May 6, 1953)[1] is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, Leader of the Labour Party, and Member of Parliament for the constituency... Identity theft is a term first appearing in U.S. literature in the 1990s, leading to the drafting of the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act. ...

Falsely obtaining such a 'secure' identity becomes very valuable because people are less likely to question its validity. This has happened in Australia, where identity theft has risen above British levels since the introduction of a widely used Tax File Number. Identity theft surrounding the Social Security Number is also a major problem in the USA. However, it can be argued that part of the problem in these countries arises from the lack of a national ID card as no positive identification exists which links one to one's unique ID number such as the Social Security Number. It is the lack of such means of identification, not necessarily the existence of the unique number itself, which promotes ID theft since there are no easily available means to verify one's SSN (such as a card with a person's SSN and photograph). Tax File Number (TFN) is an 8 or 9 digit number issued by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) to each taxpayer (individual, company, superannuation fund, partnership or trust) to identify their Australian tax dealings. ... Sample United States Social Security Card In the United States, a Social Security number (or SSN) is a number issued to citizens, permanent residents, and temporary (working) residents under section 205(c)(2) of the Social Security Act, codified as . ...

However, others^[Who?] claim that such comparisons cannot be directly compared with the introduction of identity cards and point out that such critiques usually offer not any alternative solutions to identity theft as it continues to grow.^{[citation needed]}

Opponents to the scheme state that in order to apply for the new identity cards, existing documents such as passports will be used to prove identity; however, such identification is proficiently forged, allowing identity thieves posing as someone else to apply for cards. While new applications could be made using false documentation, existing cards and database entries would also be targets. Supporters note that such claims ignore that actual process, which allows for electronic checks of applications rather than a solely paper based system.

The NIR database would make an attractive target for computer hackers. Opponents also claim that any system involving human operators is liable to social engineering attacks, infiltration or bribery or blackmail of staff. Supporters claim that there are potential ways of organising working processes to stop such attacks. This article is about computer hacking. ... Social engineering is the practice of obtaining confidential information by manipulation of legitimate users. ... See: espionage, urban exploration, entryism, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. ... Bribery is a crime implying a sum or gift given alters the behaviour of the person in ways not consistent with the duties of that person. ... For other uses, see Blackmail (disambiguation). ...

Due to the supposed security of the British system, proving that your identity has been stolen could prove problematic. If a person's biometric information is discovered and exploited by an identity thief the subject has little recourse, since such information by definition cannot be changed or reissued.

Card tampering and forging

In addition to problems affecting the database, there may be the tampering or superficial forging of the actual biometric identity cards. In a recent case in Germany, criminals forged an ID card that included biometric data.^[55]

A number of academics also point to problems of removing human interaction from security systems. Such problems can be seen with Chip and PIN credit card systems.^[56] While not a criticism of the technology itself, the work notes that operators cannot simply leave the security up to the technology and must remain vigilant in preventing suspicious behaviour. Chip and PIN is the name of a government-backed initiative in the United Kingdom to implement the EMV standard for secure payments. ...

Technology

Elsewhere, doubts remain concerning the practicability of the scheme, relying on unproven technologies such as iris scanning, and even the very best system will be liable to a small error rate. In some cases this error rate can disproportionately affect certain ethnic minorities (eg Afro-Caribbeans, for iris scanning). Existing government systems are not appropriate for the issuing to UK citizens from 2009.^[57] 2009 (MMIX) will be a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Opposition campaigns

In May 2006, NO2ID launched the "Renew for Freedom" campaign,^[58] urging passport holders to renew their passports in the summer of 2006 to delay being entered on the National Identity Register. This followed the comment made by Charles Clarke in the House of Commons that anyone who feels strongly enough about the linkage [between passports and the ID scheme] not to want to be issued with an ID card in the initial phase will be free to surrender their existing passport and apply for a new passport before the designation order takes effect.^[59] The NO2ID coalition was formed in 2004 to campaign against the United Kingdom governments plans to introduce UK ID Cards and the associated National Identity Register. ... After many years of discussion through successive governments, in 2003 Home Secretary David Blunkett announced that the government intends to introduce a British national identity card linked to a national identity database, the National Identity Register. ... The Rt Hon. ... Type Lower House Speaker Michael Martin, (Non-affiliated) since October 23, 2000 Leader Harriet Harman, (Labour) since June 28, 2007 Shadow Leader Theresa May, (Conservative) since May 5, 2005 Members 659 Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist Party Sinn FÃ©in...

In response, the Home Office said that it was hard to see what would be achieved, other than incurring unnecessary expense by renewing passports early.^[60] However, it should be remembered that the cost of a passport was set to rise in October 2006 and nearly double once identity cards are introduced. UK biometric passport, issued since 2006. ...

On 14 November 2007, the NO2ID opposition group called for financial donations from the 11,360 people who had pledged to contribute to a fighting fund opposing the legislation.^[61]. The organisation plans to challenge the statutory instruments that will be brought in to enable the ID card scheme.^[62] The NO2ID coalition was formed in 2004 to campaign against the United Kingdom governments plans to introduce UK ID Cards and the associated National Identity Register. ... Statutory Instruments (SIs) are parts of United Kingdom law separate from Acts of Parliament which do not require full Parliamentary approval before becoming law. ...

Contents

Timescale and implementation progress

Development

Reasons for introduction

Legislative progress

After the 2005 election

Historical and international comparisons

ID cards during the World Wars

International comparisons

The system

Legal requirements

National Identity Register

Identity Registration Number

Penalties

Reaction

Public reaction

Terrorism and crime

Concerns

Costs

Effectiveness

Ethnic minorities

Concerns raised by the Information Commissioner

Human rights

Feature creep

Database extent and access

Vulnerable individuals

Identity theft

Card tampering and forging

Technology

Opposition campaigns

See also

References

External links

News stories

Guides

Opposition groups

Contents

Timescale and implementation progress GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Development

Reasons for introduction

Legislative progress

After the 2005 election

Historical and international comparisons

ID cards during the World Wars

International comparisons

The system

Legal requirements

National Identity Register

Identity Registration Number

Penalties

Reaction

Public reaction

Terrorism and crime

Concerns

Costs

Effectiveness

Ethnic minorities

Concerns raised by the Information Commissioner

Human rights

Feature creep

Database extent and access

Vulnerable individuals

Identity theft

Card tampering and forging

Technology

Opposition campaigns

See also

References

External links

News stories

Guides

Opposition groups

Timescale and implementation progress