IT supplier group Intellect has said that the UK IT
industry can meet the technological challenges created by the
government's proposals for national ID cards.
In last week's annual Queen's Speech to MPs and peers, the Queen
outlined the government's plans for a draft legislation to
establish the legal framework for the introduction of an ID card
scheme in the UK.
The ID scheme, which could take 10 years to roll out and cost up to
£3.1bn, would initially involve the use of biometric technology
such as facial recognition, iris scans or fingerprints in passports
and on driving licences. The government also plans to build a
national database to store citizens' biometric and personal
details.
Fraud experts and UK banks have questioned whether biometric
technology would be reliable enough to underpin the scheme, and
other experts have pointed to the government's poor record in
rolling out large IT projects.
John Higgins, director general of Intellect, said there would be a
number of challenges, but added, "The UK technology industry is
wholly committed to working in partnership with government to
ensure that these challenges are met, and that the system can be
delivered according to the specification which is eventually
proposed."
According to Higgins, success will only be achieved if government
continues to maintain its open dialogue with industry and engages
suppliers effectively.
"This is something which the Home Office, to its credit, has
already undertaken, and something which we continue to encourage,"
he said. "Only with a comprehensive understanding of the industry,
its capacity and its capa-bilities, will the government develop an
ID card scheme which can deliver on its promises."