This is to remind you that February 13th is the deadline for inputs to the Identity and Passport Service consultation on the secondary legislation under the Identity Cards Act 2006 that will establish the detailed procedures required to introduce ID cards and in particular for the Critical Workers Identity Card Scheme that is due to start in late 2009.
Manchester and London City airports have agreed to work with IPS and the Government, as part of the first wave of airports under the Scheme. The consultation will shape the draft legislation to be put before Parliament, most likely in the spring of this year.
The Identity Cards Act 2006 established the statutory framework for issuing biometric ID cards, together with a secure National Identity Register to hold the identity information of everyone issued with an ID card. Secondary legislation will establish the detailed procedures required to introduce ID cards and the legislation, in the form of statutory instruments, will cover a number of elements required for the early phases of the scheme including:
· who is eligible to apply for a card;
· the procedures for making an application;
· the sources of information against which a person's identity will be checked;
· how the accuracy of the NIR will be maintained;
· how information may be provided from the NIR;
· the information on the front of the card.
The consultation notes refer to 15 specific points for which the IPS 'welcomes comments' about how the SIs are drafted as well as the polices that they implement, and an impact assessment will be published in March 2009. The consultation also formally reiterates previous commitments including the intention to set the fee for a card in 2009/10 at £30 and not to show the NIR number and addresses on the front of the card for confidentiality reasons. Any changes to the draft Statutory Instruments will be made before being laid before Parliament. It is expected they will be considered in both Houses between March to May 2009 with all final legislation in place well ahead of the issue of the first cards.
