§ Mr. WebbTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the implications of the introduction of compulsory identity cards for her Department. [142415]
§ Ms HewittMy Department has been fully involved in discussions on the benefits and costs of a national identity card scheme. The introduction of such a scheme is a long-term undertaking and my Department will be involved in on-going analysis of its implications.
As the Home Office document "Identity Cards the Next Steps" (November 2003 Cm 6020) made clear, the Government will be
working closely with business—particularly small business—trade unions and others to design the system to maximise the benefits and minimise the compliance costs to law-abiding businesses and to develop an effective enforcement system that will deal with illegal workers and the minority of businesses that deliberately flout the law.