§ Lord Mason of Barnsleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the proposed photo identity card scheme for 32 million drivers by the Department of Transport will be held in abeyance until the official studies of the proposed national identity card are complete.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Transport (Lord Mackay of Ardbrecknish)The Government are currently looking at the options for including photographs on plastic card driving licences along with the possible applications for smart cards in Government and the likely requirements for such cards in future. Decisions have yet to be taken on what, if any, wider uses the new driving licences might be put.