HC Deb 16 May 1994 vol 243 cc335-6W
Mr. Rooker

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the estimated cost of supplying every adult with an identity card.

Mr. Charles Wardle

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Warley, West (Mr. Spellar) on 7 December 1993, column168.

Mr. Rooker

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to make a study of the new identity card system to be introduced in the Netherlands in June.

Mr. Charles Wardle

We have no plans for a specific study of the system in the Netherlands.

Mr. Spellar

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions his Department has had with other member states of the European Union regarding mutual recognition of identity cards; and what discussions his Department has had regarding a common European-wide identity card.

Mr. Charles Wardle

We have had no discussions with other European Union member states about identity cards. Community law already provides that nationals of any European Economic Area state may use a valid identity card issued by that state for travel throughout the European Economic Area. It is a matter for each member state to decide whether or not to issue identity cards.