Report - Guardian

292 The LSE Identity Project Report: June 2005Biometrics39. The security and reliability of biometrics are atthe heart of the Government's case for theirproposals. We note that no comparable system ofthis size has been introduced anywhere in the world.The system proposed would therefore be breakingnew ground. It is essential that, before the system isgiven final approval, there should be exhaustivetesting of the reliability and security of thebiometrics chosen, and that the results of those testsshould be made available to expert independentscrutiny, perhaps led by the Government's ChiefScientific Adviser. (Paragraph 175)Medical information40. We agree with the BMA: it would not be eitheruseful or appropriate to keep medical details on theRegister. But it would be sensible for the identitycard to be the mechanism that enables individuals toaccess their NHS records. (Paragraph 176)Supported by research.Conditionally supported. Risk assessmentrequired.The Citizen Information Project and other Government databases41. We doubt that the Citizen Information Project Not applicable to this study.will provide "a strong and trusted legal basis forholding personal contact information" if theinformation on it has to be confirmed by another,separate identity card Register. There is a very largedegree of overlap between the Citizen InformationProject and the National Identity Register. TheRegistrar General mentioned the options of"comprehensive legislation to oversee informationmatching which in itself was conducted byindividual agencies but which improves the qualityof individual registers without actually going to thenext step of creating a register" and of "commonstandards for register management in the Britishgovernment": each of these would be moreworthwhile than the Citizen Information Project asit is currently planned. (Paragraph 185)42. We are concerned by the proliferation of largescaledatabases and card systems, since we haveseen little to suggest that they are being approachedin a co-ordinated way. While we have not takendetailed evidence on current proposals, other thanthe Citizen Information Project, we have theimpression that each government department iscontinuing with its own project in the hope that it isnot going to be significantly affected by otherprojects. The format of registration on differentdatabases should be coherent and consistent.(Paragraph 186)43. We believe that the Government must tacklethis proliferation of databases, examining in eachcase whether the number, identifier or database isneeded, what its relationship is to other existing orplanned databases, how data will be shared orverified and other relevant issues. For this action tobe effective, it must be co-ordinated at the highestlevels of the Civil Service. (Paragraph 187)Conditionally supported. While this concept mayhave merit at a fiscal level, it also goes aconsiderable way to violating the principle ofFunctional Separation, which provides privacyprotections for individuals as well as creatingsafeguards to prevent full centralisation andcontrol of personal information.Conditionally supported. See 42 above.