HC Deb 08 March 2004 vol 418 cc1258-60W
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the introduction of identity cards will protect people from identity fraud and theft. [157005]

Beverley Hughes

The incorporation of advanced biometric information into identity documents and the development of an electronic national identity register were announced by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary in his statement on a national identity cards scheme on 11 November. These measures would provide a unique link between the identity card and the person to whom it was issued. They would also protect people from identity fraud and theft by:

  1. (a) helping to ensure that fraudsters could not set up multiple identities:
  2. (b) providing United Kingdom residents with an easy and secure way of proving their identity;
  3. (c) allowing Government Departments who provide a public service and authorised private sector organisations to identify with whom they are dealing.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what personal information will be contained on the National Identity Register; and what legal and procedural safeguards will limit access to an identity cardholder's record on the National Identity Register; [157006]

(2) who will have access to the information stored on the national identity card database. [157039]

Beverley Hughes

Data held on the National Identity Register will be basic identity information—such as name, address, date of birth, immigration status and a confirmed biometric—and this will be set out in statute.

The legislation will allow the cards scheme to be used by any authorised service—public or private—to establish identity with the consent of the card-holder, but with strict limits on the information available.

While police and other organisations will not have routine access to data stored on the National Identity Register, there will, in statute, be specified circumstances for disclosure from the National Identity Register, for example, in cases of serious crime. This will be subject to independent oversight as at the present time.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how, under the current proposals, individuals will gain access to services where an identity card is required if their card is lost or stolen. [157259]

Beverley Hughes

An identity card, although very helpful to public services as a reliable means of proving identity, would not become mandatory until a specific further parliamentary decision on a move to compulsion. Where the identity card is used to access public services we will want to ensure that procedures are in place to help those whose card has been lost or stolen, especially in cases of emergency. We will be giving detailed consideration to how this will be achieved.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how his Department measures the amount of public support for the identity card proposal; [157301]

(2) what the reasons were for discarding 5,000 responses to the Entitlement Card consultation. [157302]

Beverley Hughes

During July 2002 and January 2003 the Home Office carried out extensive research into public attitudes to the proposals for what were then known as entitlement cards. The results of this research were published as "Identity Cards: A Summary of Findings from the Consultation Exercise on Entitlement Cards and Identity Fraud" (Cm 6019 of November 2003).

The Government did not discard 5,000 responses. The publication included a section on page 63 breaking down the 5,031 replies received via the website of a privacy organisation and explaining how these replies had been received.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is on whether an identity card scheme should be under the control of a new independent statutory body. [158721]

Beverley Hughes

The Government will address this in the draft legislation announced in the Queen's Speech and will consider the comments which will be received on the draft Bill.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has conducted of the(a) costs and (b) consequences of a major breach of the national identity card database. [158709]

Beverley Hughes

The security and integrity of the database are integral to maintaining trust in the identity cards scheme. Home Office officials are already working with security experts to ensure that security issues are considered from the start of the database design, and with other Government Departments which have similar databases with similar security needs, such as the United Kingdom Passport Service.

The specifications and design of the database and its security features will take into account security advice from the earliest stages. The design process will include threat and vulnerability assessments. Threats which will be assessed will include unauthorised internal and external access to data. These threat and vulnerability assessments will examine the risks and consequences of attacks on the databases and weigh up the costs and benefits of various defence strategies.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how identity cards will enable the identification of illegal immigrants in the UK if it will not be compulsory to carry the card. [158712]

Beverley Hughes

The National Identity Register will link each individual's record to a biometric that is unique to that person. This means that even without a card being produced, it will be possible to check someone's biometric information directly with the National Identity Register to establish his or her identity. This could be done with the person's consent or without consent in certain limited circumstances such as establishing the identity of persons who have been arrested for deceiving an immigration officer as to their real identity.

Chris Ruane

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many identity cards for young people purchasing alcohol and tobacco are in circulation; and what plans he has to change these arrangements. [156040]

Beverley Hughes

There is no national proof of age card and therefore no figures are held centrally for the number of cards issued by the various existing card schemes.

The Government's plans for a national identity cards scheme would provide a nationally accepted, useful and secure way of proving and determining age when young people wish to purchase age restricted products such as alcohol. However, this is some way in the future—the introduction of plain identity cards on a phased basis would, on current plans, begin during 2007–08.

In the shorter term, the Government have a strong interest in initiatives like the British Retail Consortium's Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) which establishes a common standard for issuing the various proof of age cards that are available. This should go some way towards assisting retailers in recognising and accepting reputable cards when requesting proof of ID and for young people to prove their age.