Report - Guardian

22 The LSE Identity Project Report: June 2005that this clause may not be brought into force for some years, there is no time periodestablished in the Bill. Parliament could approve the order to do so at any time it wishes.The card system will be buttressed by a substantial array of new state powers andcriminal penalties. The Bill creates a score of new offences including refusal to obey anorder from the Secretary of State (6(4)), failure to notify authorities about a lost, stolen,damaged or defective card (13(1)), failure to renew a card (9(2)), failure to submit tofingerprinting (9(4)(b)), failure to provide information demanded by the government(9(4)(d)), failure to attend an interview at a specified place and time (9(4)(a)) and failureto notify the Secretary of State of any change in personal circumstances (includingchange of address) (12(1)). Failure to obey an order to register or providing falseinformation will also constitute an offence. Penalties range from £1,000 fine to twoyears imprisonment. A penalty of up to £2,500 can be levied for failure to attend anappointment for a biometric scan. This fine can be repeated for every subsequent failureto attend.The government proposes to eliminate the risk of forgery and multiple identities byestablishing a “clean” database of identities. Entry onto the database will requiremultiple biometric capture, biographical footprint checking and a range of primarydocumentation. The Home Office believes that the database will contain no multipleidentities because a “one to many” check will be used before a person is enrolled.Biometrics would be taken upon application for a card and for entry on the NationalIdentity Register, and would be verified thereafter for major ‘events’ such as obtaining adriving license, passport, bank account, benefits or employment.Background and chronologyOn November 29 th 2004, following a two and a half year gestation, the Governmentintroduced and published its Identity Cards Bill. 3 This legislation was debated (inSecond Reading) in the Commons on 20 th December, and was then considered inCommittee in mid January. The legislation reached Third Reading on 10 th February2005 when it passed by 224 votes to 64. The Second Reading debate in the House ofLords took place on 21 st March, after which the Bill was suspended pending the generalelection.A revised version of the Bill was presented to the House of Commons on 25 th May. Therevisions, which are generally minor, are as listed by their relevant clauses below:- 1(h) deleted to remove the power to store old addresses;- 1(6)(c) now contains a reference to gender in the definition of an individual’sidentity;- 2(4) now includes a safeguard to only add individuals to the NationalIdentity Register when their details are known (eg failed asylum seekers) if“the Secretary of State considers that the addition of the entry to the Registerwould be consistent with the statutory purposes.”;3 Identity Cards Bill (as amended by Standing Committee B), http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/comrace/identitycards/.