§ Mr. VazTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what(a) representations he has received and (b) assessment he has made of the cost in respect of the possible introduction of smart ID cards; and if he will make a statement on the Government's policy in respect of the introduction of such cards. [30194]
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§ Mr. George HowarthHon. Members, members of the public and other interest groups contact me on a regular basis with proposals for and against the introduction of identity cards in the United Kingdom; however, there is no consensus on what form this should take. We are considering the options, including the likely cost, but have no current plans to introduce a national identity card scheme.
My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is separately looking at the scope for smart cards to facilitate electronic government transactions. Such cards would not function as national identity cards.