Report - Guardian

294 The LSE Identity Project Report: June 200549. We are also concerned that the Home Officemay be leaving it to other government departments,local government and the private sector to decidewhat level of investment to make in card readersand infrastructure. There is an obvious danger thateach organisation will opt for a low level ofsecurity, relying on others to raise the level ofsecurity in the system as a whole. If this happens thevalue of the identity card system will besignificantly undermined. We also expect the HomeOffice and other Departments to give at least broadestimates of the numbers of readers they expect toneed of each type and what level of provision otherorganisations are expected to make. (Paragraph 202)Multiple cards50. We support the issue of multiple identity cardsto an individual in cases where there is a legitimateneed, and welcome the Home Office's expression offlexibility on this issue. (Paragraph 203)Security51. We believe that an identity card system couldbe created to a sufficient level of security. Westress, however, that the security of the systemdepends as much on using the proper procedureswith the appropriate level of scrutiny to verify thecard in use as it does on the integrity of the cardissuing process or the identity register. (Paragraph207)Costings52. The Home Office have provided us with detailsof the assumptions on which their costings havebeen based, on a confidential basis. We are notconvinced that the level of confidentiality applied isjustified. Cost information is an essential element indetermining the value for money of any project. It isof prime importance where expenditure is fundedfrom the public purse and of particular relevancewith regard to public sector IT projects which havea history of poor performance and cost-overruns.We are also concerned that the least robust costestimates appear to relate to the assumptions withthe greatest cost-sensitivity, such as the length ofenrolment time, the anticipated number ofapplications requiring further investigation, the costof card production and the criteria for subsidisedcards. Changes to any one of these factors couldcause significant increases to the cost of theprogramme. (Paragraph 212)Supported by research.Supported by research.Conditionally supported. This conclusion cannotbe drawn until agreement has been reached on aspecific architecture.Supported by research.