§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will investigate ways of facilitating the use of smart cards designed for electronic Government transactions as national identity cards. [86801]
§ Mr. George HowarthThe White Paper on Modernising Government proposes the development of a framework for the use of smart cards in support of the delivery of Government services. No decision has so far been taken on the merits of a national identity card, but the potential for using smart card technology for this purpose is something we will keep in mind.