WA18

Business reacts to draft ID cards bill

The draft ID cards bill, published recently by the Government, has received a mixed reaction from individuals and business groups.

The Confederation of British Industry gave the bill a cautious welcome, recognising that identity cards could help employers to verify the identities of potential employees.

However, it warned that employers should not be expected to bear the cost of enforcing checks, and called for more information regarding the likely impact of the scheme on businesses.

John Cridland, deputy director general of the Confederation of British Industry, said, 'Identity cards could help reduce illegal working, but more practical detail is needed on how much the scheme could cost firms, what role the Government plans for employers and how the IT system will be maintained'.

Under a new pilot scheme, 10,000 volunteers will now trial the ID card technology.

The issue of compulsory identity cards has sparked a great deal of controversy in recent months, particularly among civil liberties groups.

The Government believes that ID cards will be instrumental in the fight against terrorism, as well as cracking down on identity fraud, human trafficking, and illegal working.

The ID cards are set to carry biometric data, such as fingerprints, iris scans and facial recognition, which would be linked to a national identity database. The Government plans to begin issuing biometric passports in three years.

The cost of introducing the scheme is estimated at £3.1bn.

An estimated 80% of the economically active population will have ID cards by 2013, when Parliament will vote on whether to make the scheme compulsory.

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