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ID cards not to be made compulsory for general population

06/03/2008

Non-EU migrants, students and airport staff will be the first to receive the government's new identity cards, the home secretary has announced.

Jacqui Smith today revealed further details of the planned roll-out of the ID cards, including confirming that British nationals would be not be forced to hold the controversial cards before the next general election.

She confirmed that British nationals would be able to avoid applying for an ID card if instead they applied for a biometric passport, and from 2011 British people would be expected to produce biometric information when renewing passports.

The cards will be introduced for non-EU workers this year and for workers in sensitive jobs such as immigration control and national security in 2009.

From 2010 students will also be offered ID cards; the year a national roll-out had originally been planned.

Ms Smith today said that there had been no climb-down regarding the scheme and said the cards would provide greater security for UK residents.

"The Government's national identity scheme means for the first time UK residents will have a single way to secure and verify their identity," she said.

"We will be able to better protect ourselves and over families against identity fraud, as well as protecting our communities against crime, illegal immigration and terrorism.

"I want as many people as possibly to enjoy the two key benefits of the national identity scheme – improved protection and greater convenience," the home secretary added.

"And I want them to be able to choose how they participate in the scheme as well – whether to have a passport or an ID card of both – so that they can enjoy its benefits as quickly as possible."

The proposals have been continually opposed by the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives, who say the cards are an unnecessary and expensive intrusion into people's privacy.

Shadow home secretary David Davis said: "The national identity register, which will contain dozens of personal details of every adult in this country in one place, will be a severe threat to our security and a real target for criminals, hackers and terrorists.

"This is before you take the government's legendary inability to handle people's data securely into account."