Report - Guardian

228 The LSE Identity Project Report: June 2005Who is to participate and Government Agencies implicatedWith regard to entitlement cards for young people, the 2002 consultation documentproposes the issuing of an entitlement card at the same time as the National Insurancecard and number, which is currently issued to young people attaining 15 years and 9months. 563 A lower fee for young people is suggested to encourage participation. 564It is acknowledged that foreign nationals, other than those staying for short holidays orbusiness trips, will also be required to register. The work permit scheme currentlycovers these individuals, and a card would be valid only for the period of the workpermit on which they entered the country. The Government notes that: “any changes tohis employment status such as the extension of the work permit would require the issueof a replacement entitlement card”. 565Citizens of other EEA countries would have to apply for an entitlement card, andapplications would be made using passports or their respective identity cards. The fullrange of checks proposed might not be possible for citizens of other EEA countries, butchecks would be made on the validity of the card or passport used. Applicants wouldalso be required to provide biometric information to prevent any attempts at establishingmultiple identities. 566Asylum seekers currently have to provide fingerprints (to a legal standard of proof) onarrival in the UK, and are then issued with an Application Registration Card (ARCs).An asylum seeker granted leave to remain would then be able to exchange their ARCfor an identity card. If iris patterns were to be used in a proposed identity card system,iris patterns of all asylum seekers would also have to be photographed in order to ensurethat records could be cross-matched. 567The Immigration and Nationality Directorate of the Home Office (IND) could be givenresponsibility for issuing cards to foreign nationals due to their existing expertise on thevalidation of foreign identity documents. However, a common database would berequired to ensure that a foreign national did not apply for another type of card, such asa driving licence, using false foreign identity documents. This would also prevent UKcitizens from applying for a further card by using false foreign identity papers.EnrolmentThe process of enrolling participants into the identity scheme is complex. TheGovernment sees identity as being established through three sources: biometric identity;attributed identity (for example: name, place and date of birth and parents’ names andaddresses) and biographical identity.The earliest estimate of costs was based on the total number of people covered by thescheme, rather than the total number of cards issued. Part of the costs of processing563 Consultation Document, Section 4, 2002, paragraph 43.564 Consultation Document, Section 4, 2002, paragraph 45.565 Consultation Document, Section 4, 2002, paragraph 48.566 Consultation Document, Section 4, 2002, paragraph 50.567 Consultation Document, Section 4, 2002, paragraph 52.