Report - Guardian

The LSE Identity Project Report: June 2005 237patterns and facial recognition. 634 This approach was confirmed by the NPL/BTexactstudy that recommended specific forms of biometrics that could be used, and outlinedtheir challenges. The report concluded that, while biometrics could be used, the costs ofusing all three would outweigh the benefits. That is, the report stated that thecombination would improve performance but that this: “performance improvement isunlikely to be commensurate with the increased costs, and collection of the additionalbiometric images might be seen as unnecessarily intrusive by the public”. 635With regard to fingerprinting, electronic scanners require well trained staff to ensureproper use. The Government originally envisaged a far simpler scanning system thanthat used by the police or the immigration service, originally considering the scanningof four fingers only. 636 Additionally, the prints would not be scanned to a legal standardof proof of identity and therefore future staff would not need to be as highly trained asthose working for police forces or the Immigration Service to interpret the results of anypotential matches detected by the computer. The Government has subsequentlyadmitted that it wishes to have the fingerprints used to solve crimes. As the UKPSreport on biometrics found that the verification rate on fingerprinting was quite low,with only an 80% success rate, 637 this would require adequately trained staff andgreater care in the fingerprinting process.The Government has previously acknowledged the notions of criminality that somepeople will associate with having to provide their fingerprints. It also acknowledges thatany intention to apply fingerprinting across the entire population is non-trivial. In theearlier stages of the policy, the Government referred to the difficulties involved intaking the finger prints of elderly people electronically due to the increased dryness oftheir skin. 638 Both of these indicate that costs will be higher, both because of refuseniksand those who are unable to comply.For the use of an iris biometric, each iris is scanned and matched against a computerrecord. The Government considered the use of more sophisticated cameras which do notrequire the individual to focus on a fixed point, and which will be more helpful for thosewho are partially sighted and blind. However, the Government is well aware of thechallenges to this practice, because early in the process it noted that iris scanning hasonly been used to date on systems holding up to a few thousand records, as opposed tothe many millions required by the suggested scheme. 639 In the UKPS trials, the irisverification rate was still unacceptable for a national ID programme, and bettertechnology is required.Facial recognition is also a biometric option. It is noted that this source of informationwould be less costly to implement than iris scanning or fingerprints: “as it would notrequire a regional network of devices to record applicants’ information” and it wouldrequire no change to the existing application process.634 Consultation Document, Section 4, 2002, paragraph 30.635 ‘Feasibility Study on the Use of Biometrics in an Entitlement Scheme’, paragraph 38, page 12636 Consultation Document, Section 4, 2002, paragraph 34.637 UKPS study, 2005.638 Consultation Document, Section 4, 2002, paragraph 35.639 Consultation Document, Section 4, 2002, paragraph 37.