§ 21. Mr. R. C. Morrisonasked the Minister of Health whether he will take steps to give power to local registration officers to remit, in exceptional cases, the charge of 1s. for replacement of an identity card?
Mr. M. MacDonaldLocal national registration officers have been authorised in many individual cases of an exceptional nature to waive the charge referred to; and general instructions on this subject are already in preparation.
§ 24. Sir Frank Sandersonasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the danger of unauthorised persons demanding from civilians and, in particular, from the younger generation the production of their identity cards and then appropriating them to their own use; whether he will enumerate the classes of persons who are entitled to the production of an identity card; and whether he will 646 give clear and definite instructions by broadcast as to who are the responsible authorities who have this power?
Mr. MacDonaldI appreciate the importance of the point raised by my hon. Friend, which received very full consideration in Parliament during the passage of the National Registration Act. No persons have authority to demand the production of identity cards except a police constable in uniform, a member of His Majesty's Naval, Military or Air Forces in uniform on duty, and a local national registration officer. In the last mentioned case the power would be exercised in the local national registration office. The answer to the last part of the Question is in the affirmative.
§ Sir F. SandersonIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that a large number of these cards have been misplaced or lost; and will he not consider having on the cards further identification particulars such as the photograph, or at any rate the age of the owner of the card?
Mr. MacDonaldWith regard to the photograph, I cannot add to the answers which have been given previously. I very much hope that this whole difficulty will be greatly eased by the broadcast of information which we propose to make.
§ Sir F. SandersonWill the right hon. Gentleman consider the question of putting the age on the card?