South Norfolk MP Richard Bacon has said the government’s I.D. card scheme is little more than an identity tax, as a new report finds that new passport holders will still have to pay for an I.D. card, even though the new passport will carry the same data. 

Mr Bacon was speaking as the Commons public accounts committee published its report into new passports.  In 2006, the standard British passport book changed to include an embedded data chip, storing biographical data and a digital facial image of the passport holder. 

The report finds that UK citizens holding a valid new passport will still be required to purchase a UK national identity card, even though the proposed I.D. card will hold the same data as the new passport.  According to the committee’s report, this will entail significant additional costs for passport holders. 

Mr Bacon said today:  “I.D. cards are a tax on identity.  The new passport will carry the same data as the I.D. card, so an I.D. card will do nothing new, other than prove you have paid the identity tax. 

“Passports are already widely accepted as proof of identity and 80 per cent of the UK’s population have one.  It would be cheaper to give a free passport to the 12 million British people who don’t have one.  This would cost around £870 million, which is a lot less than the £5.5 billion identity cards will cost, while still leaving £4.6 billion for something useful.

“We simply don’t need I.D. cards, full stop”.

10 October 2007

See also:
PAC REPORT: The Introduction of ePassports (pdf)