UK government outlines national ID plan, including fingerprints

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MARCH 21, 2008

UK government outlines national ID plan
Under the new proposals, people now not have to give their fingerprints before 2011

Presented at: Securitydocumentworld.com

The UK government has set out its revised plans for introducing national ID cards. Under the new proposals, most people will not now have to give their fingerprints when getting a passport until 2011/12 - three years later than had previously been planned.

Starting in December this year, the scheme will begin with the introduction of ID cards for non-EEA foreign nationals; initially starting with categories the government considers most at risk of abuse, which include foreign nationals seeking to enter or remain in the country as a student or on a marriage visa.

Should pupils pay for lunch with fingerprints?

The government says that within three years all foreign nationals applying for leave to enter or remain in the UK will be required to have a card, with around 90% of foreign nationals in the UK covered by the scheme in 2014/15.

The scheme will be extended to UK citizens from 2009, with the first cards issued to people working airside in the country’s airports. The government says that Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly will jointly chair a meeting of industry representatives to ensure the smooth introduction of these new measures.

From 2010 young people will be able, on a voluntary basis, to get an identity card. The government says this will assist them in proving their identity as they open their first bank account, take out a student loan or start employment.

Later that year the scheme will be opened to voluntary applicants of any age. However, NUS President Gemma Tumelty says:

“We are extremely concerned at the Government’s plan to use young people and students as guinea pigs for their ID card scheme. They say that the card will be ‘voluntary’, but those students who decide not to have an ID card may encounter difficulties when applying for student loans and bank accounts. Student loans are an essential service, so we have to question just how ‘voluntary’ this system will be in practice. We would also be concerned for the safety of students’ personal information if they were coerced into entering the ID card system in this way.”

From 2011/12, all passport applicants will also be registered on the scheme as they apply for the new biometric passports containing fingerprints.

“The Government’s National Identity Scheme means that for the first time UK residents will have a single way to secure and verify their identity,” says Home Secretary Jacqui Smith. “We will be able to better protect ourselves and our families against identity fraud, as well as protecting our communities against crime, illegal immigration and terrorism. And it will help us to prove our identity in the course of our daily lives - when travelling, for example, or opening a bank account, applying for a new job, or accessing government services.

She adds: “I want as many people as possible to enjoy the two key benefits of the National Identity Scheme – improved protection and greater convenience. And I want them to be able to choose how they participate in the Scheme as well – whether to have a passport or an ID card or both - so that they can enjoy its benefits as quickly as possible.”

Speaking at the Demos think tank in London today she said: “Some claim that recent cases highlight the difficulty of entrusting sensitive information to anyone, let alone the state…It is precisely because of the public’s interest in secure identity that we need more effective mechanisms for protecting identity and safeguarding personal information. Because your name will be linked by your fingerprints to a unique entry on the National Identity Register, you will have much greater protection from identity theft - no-one will be able to impersonate you, like they can now, just by finding our your name and address and personal details. The way in which we are designing the National Identity Register, with separate databases holding personal biographic details physically and technologically separately from biometric fingerprints and photographs, will greatly reduce the risk of unauthorised disclosures of information being used to damaging effect. This is in addition to existing plans for tough penalties for such disclosures - and I should make it clear that none of the databases will be online, so it won’t be possible to hack into them."

The announcement has been branded a ‘complete U-turn’ by Chris Huhne, home affairs spokesman for the opposition Liberal Democrats.

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