The home office has revealed that the controversial ID
cards scheme will cost £5.4bn over the next 10 years.
The figures published in a report to parliament estimate the
total set-up and operational costs of the scheme from this month to
October 2016. The costings have been scrutinised by the Treasury
and consultancy KPMG as well as challenged through the Office for
Government Commerce’s Gateway process, the report says.
Around 70% of the total cost of the ID card scheme is expected
to be incurred with the issuing of biometric passports
incorporating fingerprints and facial scans, as the ID cards would
use largely the same technical and office infrastructure.
The home office said technology would account for 15% of the
total costs – £810m – with a far greater expenditure on the staff
and premises needed to interview passport and ID card
applicants.
A review of the scheme ordered by home secretary John Reid had
identified technical development options, including “opportunities
to use existing assets and resources available across government
which might reduce delivery and cost risks”, such as in the
development of a database to power the National Identity Register,
the report said.
This would affect the cost estimates of the scheme. “As the work
is ongoing over the next few months they have not yet been
reflected in this cost report,” the document notes.
Home office Minister Liam Byrne confirmed that ID cards will be
implemented rapidly, starting with biometric cards for foreign
nationals in 2008. An Identity Management Action Plan will be
produced by the end of the year.
In August, home office minister Joan Ryan confirmed that £46.4m
had already been spent on ID cards between April 2003 and the end
of May this year.
Last week, Conservative party leader David Cameron said he would
scrap the ID card scheme if elected.