§ David WinnickTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has collated on countries which have suffered terrorism since 1986 and which, while suffering from terrorism, used identity cards; and which of these countries used cards with biometric data. [169728]
§ Mr. Blunkett[holding answer 29 April 2004]: Unfortunately, the information requested is not available. Neither the Home Office nor the Foreign Office have records on terrorist incidents which date back to 1986.
The Government has made it clear that the key to an effective identity card scheme is the security of the issuing process and rigorous and consistent procedures for using the card, together with the inclusion of biometrics stored on a central database.
This is where the proposals for a UK identity card scheme differ from card schemes in many other countries which do not have the kind of biometric security that is proposed for the UK scheme.
The Government believes that a secure identity card scheme would disrupt the use of false identities by terrorist organisations, for example in the money laundering and organised crime, which support terrorist activities.
As I set out in my evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee on 4 May 2004, this is an assessment shared by the Director General of the Security Service and indeed also by the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.