The ID card commissioner will be given stronger powers by the
government, in an attempt to convince the public their data will be
safe under the scheme.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith made the announcement at a
Social Market Foundation meeting where she insisted that the
scheme is on track.
She said the watchdog will scrutinise the way the scheme is
implemented and managed, how information is stored and how
ID cards are used by organisations, and will work closely with
the Information Commissioner.
Smith announced that UK citizens
who want to will be able to pre-register for the cards in the
first few months of next year.
Manchester Airport and London City Airport will be the first to
trial compulsory cards for their workers. They will take part in
18-month trials starting autumn 2009.
But the No2ID campaign group said this was a "climbdown" from
original plans which looked at enrolling 200,000 airport
workers.
Three suppliers have been short-listed for the contract for the
application and enrolment processes. Two suppliers were
short-listed for the contract to replace existing biometric storage
and matching systems. These will both be awarded in the first
quarter of 2009, Smith said.
The estimated cost of the scheme has fallen from £5.3bn in
November 2007, to £4.8bn in the most recent cost report, published
today.
The first identity cards will be issued to foreign nationals
from November 25, with 40,000 expected to be in circulation by
April 2009.
From 2010, the cards will be issued on a voluntary basis to
young people, and to the rest on the population from 2011/12.