ID cards will no longer be compulsory, but anyone applying
for a British passport will added to the national identity card
database, the government disclosed yesterday.
In an about-turn by government on the controversial ID card
plan, home secretary Alan Johnson said yesterday that ID documents
would never become compulsory
"Holding an identity card should be a personal choice for
British citizens - just as it is now to obtain a passport," he
said, announcing a review of the plans.
Johnson said he still wanted to see the introduction of ID cards
accelerated for foreign workers and said young adopters would
benefit from using the card as proof of age.
However, he said he had halted the introduction of compulsory
identity cards for pilots and other workers at Manchester Airport
and London City Airport.
Johnson has also scrapped plans to extend compulsory ID cards to
other transport industries as a condition of employment.
But draft regulations to be approved by parliament in the next
two weeks are expected to make passports a "designated document",
according to
The Guardian.
This means anyone applying for or renewing their passport from
2011 will be included in the national identity databases
automatically.
Data privacy and security concerns around these databases are
among the chief reasons for opposition to the ID card by the
Conservative Party, human rights groups and other critics.