Report - Guardian

46 The LSE Identity Project Report: June 2005the principle are now reconsidering earlier stances, but a direct response to terrorism israrely a primary driver in such debates.Many governments are attempting to create in the public mind an assumption thatbiometric identity documents are inevitable. They argue that the world is moving in thisdirection, that the technology is available and ready, and that states are compelled byinternational obligations to adopt the technology. Few of these initiatives have beenproposed in response to terrorism, but are instead longstanding initiatives that havepreviously achieved little momentum. Political and financial momentum was generatedafter terrorism had become a predominant concern.This situation is best seen in the United Kingdom through the explanations of thedesirability and financial viability of an Identity Scheme. In public statements, theGovernment has focused on changes to the technical standards of travel documents,notably passports. These international travel documents are increasingly burdened withadditional functionality in order that they can fuse with the role of identity cards.According to Home Office Minister Beverley Hughes:“I welcome the publication of the UK Passport Service's Corporateand Business plans today. The work carried out over the next fiveyears by the UKPS, in partnership with other Governmentdepartments and agencies, will be crucial to the fight against identityfraud, as we build the base for the compulsory national Identity Cardscheme. Identity crime is a growing threat both here and abroad, andfacilitates illegal immigration, benefit fraud, illegal working, andterrorist activity. It is only by thinking ahead and starting this worknow that we will tackle this menace, and ensure that the UK is in aposition to face up to the technological and law-enforcementchallenges of the future.” 69On the introduction of the draft Bill in April 2004, the Home Secretary announced thatbecause passports were necessarily going to be biometrics-enhanced, ID cards wereinevitable:“UK passports are going to be introducing biometrics whether peoplelike it or not, because that's the way the world is going. ... Within threeyears we will be in a position to start everyone having a biometricpassport issued and along with it a biometric card. People will not beable to have multiple identities.” 70At the Labour conference in the Autumn of 2004, the Home Secretary asserted that ifthe Government could link the passport to an extended set of social protections, thecosts of it would help to pay for the ID card:“[W]e will legislate this winter to upgrade our secure passport system,to create a new, clean database on which we will understand and knowwho is in our country, who is entitled to work, to services, to the69 ‘UK Passport Service 2004-2009 business plan highlights biometric IDs’, March 31, 2004, PublicTechnology.nethttp://www.publictechnology.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=820.70 ‘Blunkett pushes for ID card law 'in 18 months'’, Andrew Sparrow, Daily Telegraph, April 26, 2004.