Comments on: Home Secretary makes it clear that ID cards will NOT be compulsory

By: Quietzapple

Quietzapple — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:41:40 +0000

If the answer were in the negative the question would have been put and publicised surely?

There are myriad tory MPs and others banging a dubious tambourine with liberty misspelt on its side.

The new Home Secretary will no doubt decide the relationship between the register and passports in good time. A number of possibilities must be decoded between I would have thoguht.

The Identity and Passport Office also says:

“However, you may be aware that the Home Secretary recently made an announcement about the National Identity Service and this is available at: http://www.ips.gov.uk/cps/rde/xchg/ips_live/hs.xsl/100.htm.

“You can also find out more on our online information service, through the DirectGov website, which is available at: http://www.direct.gov.uk/identity.”

By: Stephen

Stephen — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:16:18 +0000

“We await the pressed men and women, and there will be none, but talk of them will increase, tendentiousl”

That’’s an impressively elliptical remark. Let’’s make things simple. Is registration on the NIR voluntary or not. It is a direct and simple question and surely Mr Johnson can answer it.

By: Quietzapple

Quietzapple — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:20:58 +0000

We await the pressed men and women, and there will be none, but talk of them will increase, tendentiously.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 22:09:54 +0000

Don’t worry. We shall continue to remind Mr Johnson that he has not repealed the legislation that makes registration upon the National Identity Register compulsory. If he is genuine about making ID Cards voluntary then registration upon the register should likewise be voluntary. If he is honest and genuine about his intention to make participation in the National Identity Scheme voluntary then he should have little difficulty in making that commitment.

By: Quietzapple

Quietzapple — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 20:49:45 +0000

We can expect a question to be put to him if it is commonly suspected that those applying for a passport will have to supply all the info which could be put onto the database.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:41:04 +0000

Has anyone said that the information to be captured in the National Identity Register will be reduced from the currently specified 57 items of information? Once on the register, an individual will be subject to some pretty severe criminal sanctions should he not keep the record up-to-date. Passport holders have never before been fined for failing to update the Passport Office with a change of address. These criminal sanctions belong to the policy of compulsory identity cards. It is disingenuous for Mr Johnson to claim that ID Cards are voluntary when he keeps the essential elements of the ID Cards Act 2006 unchanged. This is sleight of hand and it really doesn’t fool anyone who is familiar with the legislation.

By: Quietzapple

Quietzapple — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:17:43 +0000

As no-one has said that the information required for a new passport will be stepped up to include NI No, fingerprints etc inclusion on the National Identity Register will be pretty skeletal.

In my view the numbers of complaints re passports – delays, thefts, fraud involving forged or stolen passports – makes a listing of passports inevitable.

As passports last at least 10 years now I recall, and provision of extra information is not required this is a significant change in policy. It leaves open the likelihood that having a ID card will be enough of an advantage that more and more people will volunteer to have one.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:45:30 +0000

This annoucement is little more than a different presentation of existing policy. It will still be compulsory to register onto to National Identity Register when one renews one’s passport. Whether one chooses to get an additional piece of plastic to go along with that registration, is of little import. If Alan Johnson is serious about making ID Cards voluntary then registration on the National Identity Register must also be voluntary. If I am compelled to go on the register when I renew my passport or my photo-driving licence then it is not voluntary.

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