Thursday 26th May 2005
The Government has announced plans for a compulsory national identity cards scheme. The scheme is to be phased in over a number of years and will include basic personal information and biometric identifiers. These unique biometric identifiers (such as iris pattern or fingerprints) will help prevent people´s identities being stolen and also will securely confirm a person´s identity when a card is checked. The introduction of the first identity cards will, on current plans, start from 2008.
For many UK citizens the identity card will be issued as passports come up for renewal or for first time applications. The Home Office, the UKPS and other government departments will now start to lay the foundations for the scheme, which will establish a more secure means of proving people´s identity. As part of this process, the UKPS will progress its major anti-fraud and secure identity initiatives inlcuding the addition of a biometric to the British passport.
The Identity Cards Scheme will be delivered by a new agency which will incorporate the functions of the UK Passport Service. It will work very closely with the Home Office Immigration and Nationality Directorate to ensure that the scheme has universal coverage for both British citizens and foreign nationals.
The Identity Cards Bill was introduced to Parliament on 25 May 2005.
For further information about the ID card scheme please visit www.identitycards.gov.uk
You can download a pdf file copy of the UKPS Biometrics Enrolment Trial Report here.
You can download a pdf file copy of the UKPS Biometrics Enrolment Trial Management Summary here.
